Handout 4: 8/31/04
User Interfaces for Information Visualization
CPSC 689-606
Assignment 1
Due Tuesday, September 21, 2004
You may do this assignment by yourself or you may team with at most one other
person.
Identify and describe an available data source that would provide raw material
for a realistic visualization. The source should be of sufficient size to
support an interesting visualization. Each "team" (individual or pair) should
select a different data source. Use the class period on 9/14/04 to coordinate
among teams and, if you have located extra resources, to share the extras with
teams that have not been able to locate resources.
Prepare a writeup to be turned in on 9/21/04 that answers at least the
following questions:
- What data source have you identified? How can it be obtained? Is it
possible to
obtain the rights to use the data source (the answer to this question should be
"yes") and how?
- Characterize the data: what is in a record, how many records, what kind of
metadata? How difficult will it be to extract the necessary metadata and what
approach will be required?
- What kind of visualizations would the data support? What other
visualizations of the data have been carried out previously?
In addition, prepare one PowerPoint slide summarizing this information. We
will go through these slides in class on 9/21/04. Put the slide on a Web page
so it can be accessed quickly in class.
An identified data source can serve as a resource for your term project.