Visualizing the Gospels Using Treemaps and the Composite Gospel Index Sean Boisen (Sean at SemanticBible dot com) Society for Biblical Literature Annual Meeting Computer Assisted Research Group, S21-15 Nov 21, 2005

Outline Visualization and Treemaps The Composite Gospel Index Sample visualizations Conclusions

Visualization and Treemaps

The Composite Gospel Index

Sample visualizations

Conclusions

Information Visualization Macro vs. micro view Shirkey: “the overall pattern of data often exhibits patterns that emerge from the individual pieces of data, patterns that can be impossible to discern by merely re-sorting the data in spreadsheet format ” Quantitative vs. symbolic perspective Dynamic visualizations invite exploration Shneiderman’s mantra: Overview first, Zoom and filter, Then details on demand.

Macro vs. micro view

Shirkey: “the overall pattern of data often exhibits patterns that emerge from the individual pieces of data, patterns that can be impossible to discern by merely re-sorting the data in spreadsheet format ”

Quantitative vs. symbolic perspective

Dynamic visualizations invite exploration

Shneiderman’s mantra:

Overview first,

Zoom and filter,

Then details on demand.

Treemaps A “space-constrained visualization of hierarchical structures” developed by Ben Shneiderman (University of Maryland Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory) Software is available for non-commercial use at www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/treemap / Web examples: www.smartmoney.com/marketmap (stock performance by industry) www.marumushi.com/apps/newsmap/ (Google News)

A “space-constrained visualization of hierarchical structures” developed by Ben Shneiderman (University of Maryland Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory)

Software is available for non-commercial use at www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/treemap /

Web examples:

www.smartmoney.com/marketmap (stock performance by industry)

www.marumushi.com/apps/newsmap/ (Google News)

The Composite Gospel Index (CGI) A unified account for representing the Gospel accounts XML data structure Standards based to encourage re-use Supports Web presentation and hyper-linking Supports automated processing of texts and related features A reference scheme and abstraction layer Downloadable from www.semanticbible.org/cgi/cgi-view.html

A unified account for representing the Gospel accounts

XML data structure

Standards based to encourage re-use

Supports Web presentation and hyper-linking

Supports automated processing of texts and related features

A reference scheme and abstraction layer

Downloadable from www.semanticbible.org/cgi/cgi-view.html

An Example CGI Pericope ID : Pericope.041.Mark R e f e r e n c e : Mark.1.14-Mark.1.15 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel." ID : Pericope.041.Luke R e f e r e n c e : Luke .4.14-Luke.4.15 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. PericopeSources ID : Pericope.041.Matt R e f e r e n c e : Matt.4.12-Matt.4.17 ID : Pericope.041.John R e f e r e n c e : John.4.43-John.4.45 ID: Pericope.041 Title: Jesus preaches in Galilee NextBySource : Pericope.044 PreviousBySource : Pericope.040 PreviousBySource : Pericope.027 NextBySource : Pericope.043 Previous : Pericope.040

ID : Pericope.041.Mark

R e f e r e n c e : Mark.1.14-Mark.1.15

Constructive Principles Division Thematic and situational continuity Alignment Sequence

Division

Thematic and situational continuity

Alignment

Sequence

Computed Attributes by Pericope & Source Tokens (n=34): Now-after-John-was-arrested-Jesus-came-into-Galilee-proclaiming-the-gospel-of-God-and-saying-The-time-is-fulfilled-and-the-kingdom-of-God-is-at-hand-repent-and-believe-in-the-gospel BaseTokens (n=21): now-John-be-arrest-Jesus-come-Galilee-proclaim-gospel-God-say-time-be-fulfill-kingdom-God-be-hand-repent-believe-gospel ID : Pericope.041.Mark R e f e r e n c e : Mark.1.14-Mark.1.15 n_tokens : 34 n_basetokens: 21 mean_singletons: 0 mean_lowfreqs: 0 Novel vocabulary measures (summed across all Gospels): Singleton = single occurrence of a base token “ lowfreq” = < 3 occurrences of a base token Means are normalized by n_basetokens. ID: Pericope.041 n_tokens: 229 mean_tokens: 57.25 n_sources: 4 n_basetokens: 137 mean_basetokens: 34.25

Novel vocabulary measures (summed across all Gospels):

Singleton = single occurrence of a base token

“ lowfreq” = < 3 occurrences of a base token

Means are normalized by n_basetokens.

Treemap 1: CGI Overview Purposes: Illustrate Treemap visualization Space vs. sequential orientation Hierarchical organization Dynamic highlighting and selection details Compare Synoptics to John Parameters: Group by pericope Label: reference Size: # of tokens for each source Color: source

Purposes:

Illustrate Treemap visualization

Space vs. sequential orientation

Hierarchical organization

Dynamic highlighting and selection details

Compare Synoptics to John

Parameters:

Group by pericope

Label: reference

Size: # of tokens for each source

Color: source

Treemaps 2 and 3: Single Source Pericopes Purpose: Explore the distribution by author of single-source pericopes Parameters: Group by pericope Label: reference Size: mean # of tokens for each pericope Color: source Filter: n_sources = 1 Treemap 3: group first by author, then by pericope

Purpose: Explore the distribution by author of single-source pericopes

Parameters:

Group by pericope

Label: reference

Size: mean # of tokens for each pericope

Color: source

Filter: n_sources = 1

Treemap 3: group first by author, then by pericope

Treemap 4: Size and # of Sources Question: are single-source pericopes shorter? Parameters: Group by # of sources Label: reference Size: # of tokens for each pericope Color: source Filter: John

Question: are single-source pericopes shorter?

Parameters:

Group by # of sources

Label: reference

Size: # of tokens for each pericope

Color: source

Filter: John

Treemap 5: Novel Vocabulary Purpose: explore singleton terms in Luke. Parameters: Group by # of sources Label: reference Size: # of tokens for each pericope Color: # of singletons (normalized) Filter: Luke

Purpose: explore singleton terms in Luke.

Parameters:

Group by # of sources

Label: reference

Size: # of tokens for each pericope

Color: # of singletons (normalized)

Filter: Luke

Conclusions and Next Steps Treemaps are a useful visualization tool for Biblical studies Shows the interplay across the Gospels between sources, source uniqueness, and token counts Producing and sharing data is a fruitful area for research collaboration

Treemaps are a useful visualization tool for Biblical studies

Shows the interplay across the Gospels between sources, source uniqueness, and token counts

Producing and sharing data is a fruitful area for research collaboration