Exploring New Threads in Visualization Research

Visualization research could be described as developing visual representations of data to help people gain insight. But what happens when we begin to pull at the threads that make up this statement’s underlying assumptions? In this talk, I will share my experiences exploring new threads in visualization research that emerge from unraveling the assumptions of behind data, visualizations, and research practices. I will weave together my experiences conducting visualization research with feminist theoretical frames and the research consequences of this approach.

Derya Akbaba is a PhD student in the Department of Science & Technology at Linköping University supported through the WASP program. In her research, she is interested in designing visualizations that draw on interdisciplinary and feminist scholarship, and broadening visualization research methods to address how systems of power affect access to data, visualizations, and insight. She obtained her bachelors degree in industrial and labor relations, with minors in economics and cognitive science at Cornell University, and received a masters degree in computer science from the University of Utah. Between her bachelors and masters degree, she worked at a small start-up in NYC. Personal website: https://gotdairyya.github.io/