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Title: Exploration and Explanation in Computational Notebooks
Computational notebooks combine code, visualizations, and text in a single document. Researchers, data analysts, and even journalists are rapidly adopting this new medium. We present three studies of how they are using notebooks to document and share exploratory data analyses. In the first, we analyzed over 1 million computational notebooks on GitHub, finding that one in four had no explanatory text but consisted entirely of visualizations or code. In a second study, we examined over 200 academic computational notebooks, finding that although the vast majority described methods, only a minority discussed reasoning or results. In a third study, we interviewed 15 academic data analysts, finding that most considered computational notebooks personal, exploratory, and messy. Importantly, they typically used other media to share analyses. These studies demonstrate a tension between exploration and explanation in constructing and sharing computational notebooks. We conclude with opportunities to encourage explanation in computational media without hindering exploration.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1735234
PAR ID:
10064423
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Page Range / eLocation ID:
32:1 to 32:12
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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