Making Science Easier to See

Scientific discoveries can influence decisions about health, climate and technology, but the research behind them is often difficult to explain outside laboratories and academic journals. Two University of Maryland computer scientists are examining how infographics can present those findings to the general public effectively.

Department of Computer Science Associate Professor Zhicheng Liu and Assistant Professor Fumeng Yang received a $559,048 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study how science infographics are designed, interpreted and evaluated.

The researchers will study how professional designers choose layouts, images, labels and other visual elements to explain scientific information. They will also examine how those decisions affect what audiences understand, remember and consider credible.

“Our goal is to make it easier for scientists, journalists and designers to communicate scientific discoveries and knowledge through effective and trustworthy infographics,” Liu said.

Infographics are used in news stories, scientific publications and classrooms to explain subjects such as public health, climate change and space exploration. Unlike a conventional chart, an infographic may combine data, diagrams, illustrations, labels and narrative elements in a single visual presentation.

That flexibility can make scientific information more accessible, but it also creates design challenges. Existing software often allows users to arrange text and images without offering guidance on how the elements should work together or whether the finished product communicates its intended message.

“There are few tools or guidelines that help creators design them effectively,” Liu said. “Our project will develop the scientific foundations, software tools and evidence-based design guidelines needed to support the creation of effective science infographics.”

Liu will lead the development of what the researchers call a “grammar” of infographics. Similar to how a language grammar explains how words and sentences fit together, the framework will describe the components of an infographic and the relationships among data, visual elements and storytelling techniques.

The framework will serve as the basis for a JavaScript-based authoring toolkit. The open-source software is intended to help users connect scientific information with visual components and communication goals rather than treating each chart, illustration or annotation as a separate design element.

Yang will focus on how people create and respond to infographics. Her research will examine how designers make decisions, including which information to emphasize, how to organize a visual explanation and what techniques to use to guide a reader through it.

She will also develop a framework for measuring whether an infographic achieves its intended purpose. The evaluation process will consider factors such as what viewers understand, what information they retain and whether they consider the presentation credible.

The project will also produce datasets that other researchers, educators and software developers can use. Yang feels making those resources publicly available could allow others to test the findings, improve the tools and apply them in different areas of science communication.

“Ultimately, we hope to lower the barriers to effective science communication,” Yang said, “helping more people understand complex scientific ideas and make informed decisions.”

—Story by Samuel Malede Zewdu, CS Communications