What is an Effective Knowledge Visualization? Insights from a Review of Seminal Concepts

The domain of knowledge visualization is a relatively young discipline that focuses on the collaborative use of interactive graphics to create, integrate and apply knowledge. This emerging approach nevertheless builds on decades of research on using images collaboratively for sense making and knowledge sharing. In this paper, we review seminal concepts from different disciplines that help to explain how visualizations can effectively act as collaboration catalysts and knowledge integrators. Our review makes it apparent that many different labels and conceptions exist in very different domains to explain the same phenomenon: the integrative power of visuals for knowledge-intensive collaboration processes. These concepts can be used to compile a list of the requirements of an effective knowledge visualization. We conclude the paper by showing the theoretical and practical implications of this review.