Mission 3: Analyzing and Visualizing Data Worldwide

Abstract

A global historical archive, once created, must be analyzed appropriately. One side of such analysis requires specific techniques of computation and representation to implement analyses. Another side of it requires an appropriate conceptualization of society at the global level, sound application of social science theory, and alternation among multiple perspectives. In two important feedback loops, data-mining will rely on computational systems to seek out unrecognized relations within the Archive, and systems of analysis will estimate and simulate missing data. In each case the results of these exercises will be incorporated into the Archive. Visualization, beginning with geographic visualization of global data, will expand to temporal and topical visualization at various scales, and more generally to visualization of information, concept, strategy, and metaphor. CHIA is to be open to high-level analysis by researchers but also to more basic questions from teachers and students. Results of user queries and interpretations will be added to the archive; feedback from analysis of the data will bring modification to the work of Mission 1 and Mission 2.