PNNL

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, the authors 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 give a brief overview of the data sets, the tasks, the participation, the judging, and the results.