Examining the use of narrative constructs in data videos

Abstract

Data videos are a highly impactful method of communication and are becoming a prevalent medium for communicating information. While the majority of current research focuses on the cinematic aspects of data videos, very little is known about the narrative methodologies involved. This paper presents our insights derived from an initial exploration of this area. We present a taxonomy based on the analysis of 70 existing data videos examining their narrative and visual approaches. We propose that our taxonomy can be used to explain the characteristics or design of data videos. Applying this taxonomy, we present our observations, including the trend of popular technologies applied in current data videos, the under-utilization of promising methods, and highlight research opportunities in the field. Keywords: Narrative visualization, Data videos, Taxonomy, Narrative approaches