Controversy visualization: How controversial public discourse in Wikipedia articles evolves over time

Background The editorial history of Wikipedia articles, especially those on controversial topics, shows the evolution of the topic and cues on whether they were written impartially. This study suggested a compact information-rich visual representation for a better understanding of the complex public discourse in a more intuitive and effective way. Methods We developed Flow Circle and demonstrated its effectiveness by using a case of "Gun Politics in the United States" from Wikipedia. We also conducted a user study to compare the usability between Flow Circle and History Flow. Results The structure and function of Flow Circle are explained through History Flow, CircosView, and MDS plot. This system provides various interaction methods for users to explore details in multiple aspects and levels. According to the user study results, the participants preferred Flow Circle over History Flow in terms of system functionality and intuitiveness. Conclusions In the current study, we developed Flow Circle and suggested its effectiveness in analyzing complex text-based public discourse. Unlike previous approaches, Flow Circle showed integrated multiple data representation in one consistent design, and the user study results also supported its strengths.