Conceptual Data Visualization in Archival Finding Aids: Preliminary User Responses

This paper explores possibilities for marrying data visualization to online archival finding aids, which have continually suffered from usability issues in their long history. This paper describes a project in which two different data visualization models were built to replace sections of an archival finding aid. Users were then shown the models, and they reflected on their experiences and possible enhancements in small, informal focus groups. After situating these user responses within information-seeking activities of archival research, this paper explores potential methods of improving and expanding finding aids and archival search systems through data visualization.