Supporting creativity: Towards associative discovery of new insights

Abstract

In this paper we outline an approach for network-based information access and exploration. In contrast to existing methods, the presented framework allows for the integration of both semantically meaningful information as well as loosely coupled information fragments from heterogeneous information repositories. The resulting Bisociative Information Networks (BisoNets) together with explorative navigation methods facilitate the discovery of links across diverse domains. In addition to such "chains of evidence", they enable the user to go back to the original information repository and investigate the origin of each link, ultimately resulting in the discovery of previously unknown connections between information entities of different domains, subsequently triggering new insights and supporting creative discoveries. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.