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An Autoethnography on Visualization Literacy: A Wicked Measurement Problem
IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics
|November 20, 2025
Summary
Measuring visualization literacy, the ability to interpret and create visuals, is complex. This study explores challenges in assessing this skill, offering solutions for more accurate measurement.
Area of Science:
- Data Visualization
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Educational Measurement
Background:
- Visualization literacy is crucial for interpreting and creating data representations.
- Empirical studies increasingly rely on visualization literacy assessments.
- Existing methods struggle to precisely define and measure visualization literacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reflect on the complexities of defining and measuring visualization literacy.
- To identify the factors contributing to visualization literacy assessment being a "wicked" problem.
- To propose actionable strategies for improving visualization literacy measurement.
Main Methods:
- Autoethnographic reflection.
- 14 internal interviews with visualization literacy test users and designers.
- Analysis of conceptual, operational, and methodological threats to validity.
Main Results:
- Visualization literacy assessment is a "wicked" problem due to its fluid nature.
- Misalignment exists between the construct of visualization literacy and its measurement.
- Several threats to measurement validity were identified.
Conclusions:
- Broaden test scopes and modalities for visualization literacy assessment.
- Enhance the ecological validity and usability of visualization literacy tests.
- Foster interdisciplinary collaboration and continuous dialogue to embrace the fluidity of visualization literacy.
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