An information architecture to support the visualization of personal histories

Abstract

This paper proposes an information architecture for personal history data and describes how the data model can be extended to a runtime model for a compact visualization using graphical timelines. Our information architecture was developed for juvenile justice and medical patient records, but is usable in other application domains such as personal resumes, financial histories, or customer support. Our model groups personal history events into aggregates that are contained in facets (e.g., doctor visits, hospitalizations, or lab tests). Crosslinks enable representation of arbitrary relationships across events and aggregates. Data attributes, such as severity, can be mapped by data administrators to visual attributes such as color and line thickness. End-users have powerful controls over the display contents, and they can modify the mapping to fit their tasks. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.