Is this Real?: Generating Synthetic Data that Looks Real

Abstract

Synner is a tool that helps users generate real-looking synthetic data by visually and declaratively specifying the properties of the dataset such as each field's statistical distribution, its domain, and its relationship to other fields. It provides instant feedback on every user interaction by updating multiple visualizations of the generated dataset and even suggests data generation specifications from a few user examples and interactions. Synner visually communicates the inherent randomness of statistical data generation. Our evaluation of Synner demonstrates its effectiveness at generating realistic data when compared with Mockaroo, a popular data generation tool, and with hired developers who coded data generation scripts for a fee.