Topic-Based Exploration and Embedded Visualizations for Research Idea Generation

This work analyzes sensemaking frameworks and experiments with an iteratively designed visual analysis tool to identify design implications for facilitating research idea generation using visualizations. Our tool, ThoughtFlow, structures and visualizes literature collections using topic models to bridge the information gap between core activities during research ideation. To help users stay focused on a topic while discovering relevant documents, we designed and analyzed usage patterns for two types of embedded visualization that help determine document relevance while minimizing distraction. We analyzed how research ideation outcomes and processes differ when using ThoughtFlow and conventional search engines by augmenting insight-based evaluation with concept-map analysis. Our results suggest that operations afforded by topic models match well with later ideation stages when coherent topics have emerged, but not with early stages when users are still relying heavily on individual keywords to gather background knowledge. We also present qualitative evidence that citation sparklines encourage more exploration of recommended references, and that a preference for paper thumbnails may depend on the consistency between the evidence and the current mental frame.