Towards Utilizing Domain Expertise for Exploratory Data Analysis

In exploratory data analysis, domain knowledge and experience play a central role in order to extract information from the data and to derive proof and knowledge. However, experienced domain experts are rarely the same people who carry out the data analyses. Therefore, utilizing domain expertise for guidance in analytic processes is a complex challenge. In recent years, machine learning has seen great advances. Increasing processing power and growth in data as well as affordable storage have led to more advanced algorithms. Therefore, with the emergence of applicable machine learning algorithms, there is now a method for preserving and making use even of complex knowledge. In this paper, we present a concept that allows to extract and utilize domain knowledge for exploratory data analysis. We introduce concepts of interaction store and analysis context store to record user interaction and context during an exploratory analysis. We use the recorded data to construct semantic interaction sequences and predict their potential insight. The prediction can then be used to guide other data scientist in their sensemaking while performing exploratory data analysis in similar domains and use cases. Furthermore, we discuss possible research opportunities and implications resulting from the presented concept.