Theoretical Analysis of Uncertainty Visualizations

Although a number of theories and principles have been developed to guide the creation of visualizations, it is not always apparent how to apply the knowledge in these principles. We describe the application of perceptual and cognitive theories for the analysis of uncertainty visualizations. General principles from Bertin, Tufte, and Ware are outlined and then applied to the analysis of eight different uncertainty visualizations. The theories provided a useful framework for analysis of the methods, and provided insights into the strengths and weaknesses of various aspects of the visualizations.