A Cost Structure Analysis of Manual and Computer-supported Sensemaking Behavior

We have studied the effects of different kinds of analytic tools on the behavior of people doing rapid large-volume data assessment, analysis and organization. The studies reported here contrast the micro-structure details of automated cluster- ing techniques, the use of standard timeline and cluster visualization methods in comparison to desktop paper sorting and piling. This analysis shows that the lack of expressiveness and re- sponsiveness in current interface designs dra- matically limits human performance, suggesting ways in which the next generation of analytic tools must evolve in order to be useful for large volume / complex analysis tasks.