VAST 2008 Challenge: Introducing Mini-Challenges

Published

August 29, 2008

Author(s)

Georges Grinstein, Catherine Plaisant, Sharon J. Laskowski, Theresa O'Connell, Jean Scholtz, Mark Whiting

Abstract

Visual analytics experts realize that one effective way to push the field forward and to develop metrics for measuring the performance of various visual analytics components is to hold an annual competition. In its third year, we restructured the contest format used in 2006 and 2007 to reduce the barriers to participation and offered four mini-challenges and a Grand Challenge. The VAST 2008 Challenge was held in conjunction with the 2008 IEEE VAST Symposium. Participants were to use visual analytic tools to explore four heterogeneous data collections to analyze the activities of a fictitious, controversial movement. Questions asked in the Grand Challenge required the participants to analyze and synthesize data from all four data sets. In this paper we describe the data sets, the tasks, the participation, the judging, and the lessons learned.

Proceedings Title

IEEE Second International Conference on Biometrics: Theory, Applications and Systems (BTAS 08)

Conference Dates

October 18-24, 2008

Conference Location

Columbus, OH, US

Conference Title

IEEE Information Visualization Conference (IEEE InfoVis)

Pub Type

Conferences

Keywords

contest, evaluation, human information interaction, metrics, sense making, visual analytics

Citation

Grinstein, G. , Plaisant, C. , Laskowski, S. , O'Connell, T. , Scholtz, J. and Whiting, M. (2008), VAST 2008 Challenge: Introducing Mini-Challenges, IEEE Second International Conference on Biometrics: Theory, Applications and Systems (BTAS 08), Columbus, OH, US (Accessed October 24, 2025)