Supporting data exploration in databases

Abstract

We propose a solution to the problem of exploring large, complex data sets in a (relational) database by a human user. In a nutshell, our proposed solution is to develop the tools to support data exploration and browsing in an organized manner. We introduce: (a) an organization of data around the idea of defining distances on data sets, to reflect the intuitive notion of data that is (closely) related to other data; and (b) a new set of operators to mediate user-data interaction that exploits the defined distances to let the user “move around” the data. Our operators are simple and intuitive, yet they can be combined in a flexible manner to support complex browsing interactions. The operators are combined in a novel interface that enables intelligent data exploration and analysis.