Enabling Efficient Intelligence Analysis in Degraded Environments
Abstract
When facing decisions in underdeveloped, degraded, and denied environments, commanders are likely to rely even more heavily on efficient intelligence analysis. Unfortunately, most of the time, the data gathered in these environments will be uncertain, ambiguous, and incomplete. Tools enabling fast and thorough analysis are thus required. Use of automated processing alone is vulnerable to data deficiencies, so human judgment is essential to ensure intelligence products' validity. Interactive visual interfaces can enable human analysis by leveraging the high bandwidth visual pathway into the human mind and unique human pattern-finding abilities. We propose visual analytics tools to support sensemaking and improve social network analysis in a counterinsurgency context. Our prototype is composed of a series of independent but coordinated generic widgets that can be applied to a broad range of application domains. Among the proposed analysis tools are a Multi-timelines widget for temporal events and situation evolution analysis; a Magnets Grid widget for multidimensional information exploration; and a record browser of Visual Summary Cards widget for fast visual identification of key information elements and comparison between entities. We also expose the concepts underlying an additional widget currently in definition. The Graph Analytics widget combines a visual presentation of graph diagrams composed of nodes and links to other visual presentations of analysis outputs like ranking and the semantic meaning of links based on a social network ontology.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA588001
Entities
People
- Regine Lecocq
- Valerie Lavigne
Organizations
- DRDC Valcartier