INVISQUE - INteractive VIsual Search and Query Environment
Using visual analytics to make sense of online search results
A JISC funded research project conducted by staff from EIS and Learning Resources
Visual Analytics in the Library Specifically INVISQUE will show a network of key-
Environment words, allowing interaction with associated biblio-
graphic resources. The prototype will use the Learning
Visual Analytics (VA) allows us to make sense of Resources library catalogue test database.
large datasets through the use of an interactive visuali-
sation interface. The Future
VA will show the visual representations of keyword The INVISQUE prototype will provide a platform from
associations and the relationships between different which to develop an innovative searching interface. In
information resources in large and loosely coupled the longer term, a study of how learners use this
datasets such as the library catalogue and journal in- will provide a refined version.
dexing databases, repositories and other such digital
information resources.
It is hoped that they will
The visual search results will allow users to rotate, re- respond positively to
order and re-collate, facilitating the chance discovery of the visual presentation
un-anticipated information resources. of their search results in
an ever-changing, multi-
The Problem disciplinary information
landscape.
Intelligent keyword associations are not made in
many of the search engines that exist today – including More broadly the
the new vertical search engines employing Web 2.0 tag INVISQUE project and
clouds that are in use in some UK HE libraries. Ad- the process and proto-
ditionally, bibliometric information such as number of type resulting from this
citations, relevance of keyword to article is not drawn six-month project will
out and there is a lack of a common standard for bib- open up new areas of research and innovation.
liographic database design. This means that not all The results of a combined application of visual
solutions work in a systematic manner resulting in analytics, semantic extraction, heterogeneous data
an uneven display of search results. transformation and integration in support of visual-
ization and human sense making will provide holders
The Project of large data-sets a way in which to present the data
visually and make bet-ter sense of data which origi-
The project is to apply VA in addressing the prob- nates from disparate data sets.
lems outlined above. It is JISC funded and led by EIS
and Learning Resources. The research team has ex-
pertise in interaction design and digital libraries.
Nazlin Bhimani
The project will lead to the development of a prototype School Liaison Manager (EIS & iWBL)
for a computer interface that will provide students Learning Resources Academic Support
and researchers with an interactive visual presenta- Middlesex University
tion of their bibliographic search results.