Exploratory portals: The need for a new generation

This paper proposes a set of requirements for a new generation of exploratory portals, fully exploiting and developing the principles and the aims of Exploratory Computing. The first generation of exploratory portals for rich datasets (where objects are classified according to powerful taxonomies) has already provided a way to support effective user experiences, where traditional approaches (like query, search, faceted search, data mining, logical reasoning, data visualizations, . . . ), instead, would only partially satisfy "exploratory" needs. This paper discusses how and why more advanced exploratory features are still needed. A set of requirements is proposed, through examples and formal definitions.