The Language of Infographics: Toward Understanding Conceptual
Metaphor Use in Scientific Storytelling

J 2025

The Language of Infographics: Toward Understanding Conceptual Metaphor Use in Scientific Storytelling

POKOJNÁ, Hana; Tobias ISENBERG; Stefan BRUCKNER; Barbora KOZLÍKOVÁ; Laura GARRISON et al.

Základní údaje

Originální název

The Language of Infographics: Toward Understanding Conceptual Metaphor Use in Scientific Storytelling

Autoři

POKOJNÁ, Hana; Tobias ISENBERG; Stefan BRUCKNER; Barbora KOZLÍKOVÁ a Laura GARRISON

Vydání

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, United States of America, 2025, 1077-2626

Další údaje

Jazyk

angličtina

Typ výsledku

Článek v odborném periodiku

Obor

10200 1.2 Computer and information sciences

Stát vydavatele

Spojené státy

Utajení

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Odkazy

URL

Impakt faktor

Impact factor: 6.500 v roce 2024

Označené pro přenos do RIV

Ano

Organizační jednotka

Fakulta informatiky

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1109/TVCG.2024.3456327

UT WoS

999

Klíčová slova anglicky

Visualization; visual metaphors; science communication; conceptual metaphors; visual communication

Příznaky

Mezinárodní význam, Recenzováno

Změněno: 22. 1. 2026 09:50, doc. RNDr. Barbora Kozlíková, Ph.D.

Anotace

V originále

We apply an approach from cognitive linguistics by mapping Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) to the visualization domain to address patterns of visual conceptual metaphors that are often used in science infographics. Metaphors play an essential part in visual communication and are frequently employed to explain complex concepts. However, their use is often based on intuition, rather than following a formal process. At present, we lack tools and language for understanding and describing metaphor use in visualization to the extent where taxonomy and grammar could guide the creation of visual components, e.g., infographics. Our classification of the visual conceptual mappings within scientific representations is based on the breakdown of visual components in existing scientific infographics. We demonstrate the development of this mapping through a detailed analysis of data collected from four domains (biomedicine, climate, space, and anthropology) that represent a diverse range of visual conceptual metaphors used in the visual communication of science. This work allows us to identify patterns of visual conceptual metaphor use within the domains, resolve ambiguities about why specific conceptual metaphors are used, and develop a better overall understanding of visual metaphor use in scientific infographics. Our analysis shows that ontological and orientational conceptual metaphors are the most widely applied to translate complex scientific concepts. To support our findings we developed a visual exploratory tool based on the collected database that places the individual infographics on a spatio-temporal scale and illustrates the breakdown of visual conceptual metaphors.

Návaznosti

MUNI/A/1590/2023, interní kód MU

Název: Využití technik umělé inteligence pro zpracování dat, komplexní analýzy a vizualizaci rozsáhlých dat

Investor: Masarykova univerzita, Využití technik umělé inteligence pro zpracování dat, komplexní analýzy a vizualizaci rozsáhlých dat

MUNI/A/1608/2023, interní kód MU

Název: Zapojení studentů Fakulty informatiky do mezinárodní vědecké komunity 24

Investor: Masarykova univerzita, Zapojení studentů Fakulty informatiky do mezinárodní vědecké komunity 24

MUNI/A/1638/2024, interní kód MU

Název: Umělá inteligence a správa komplexních rozsáhlých dat

Investor: Masarykova univerzita, Umělá inteligence a správa komplexních rozsáhlých dat

Citovat

POKOJNÁ, Hana; Tobias ISENBERG; Stefan BRUCKNER; Barbora KOZLÍKOVÁ a Laura GARRISON. The Language of Infographics: Toward Understanding Conceptual Metaphor Use in Scientific Storytelling. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics. United States of America, 2025, roč. 31, č. 1, s. 371-381. ISSN 1077-2626. Dostupné z: https://doi.org/10.1109/TVCG.2024.3456327.

@article{2418897,
   author = {Pokojná, Hana and Isenberg, Tobias and Bruckner, Stefan and Kozlíková, Barbora and Garrison, Laura},
   article_location = {United States of America},
   article_number = {1},
   doi = {https://doi.org/10.1109/TVCG.2024.3456327},
   keywords = {Visualization; visual metaphors; science communication; conceptual metaphors; visual communication},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {1077-2626},
   journal = {IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics},
   title = {The Language of Infographics: Toward Understanding Conceptual Metaphor Use in Scientific Storytelling},
   url = {https://www.computer.org/csdl/journal/tg/2025/01/10682437/20jHhfBBZ04},
   volume = {31},
   year = {2025}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 2418897
AU  - Pokojná, Hana - Isenberg, Tobias - Bruckner, Stefan - Kozlíková, Barbora - Garrison, Laura
PY  - 2025
TI  - The Language of Infographics: Toward Understanding Conceptual Metaphor Use in Scientific Storytelling
JF  - IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics
VL  - 31
IS  - 1
SP  - 371-381
EP  - 371-381
SN  - 10772626
KW  - Visualization
KW  - visual metaphors
KW  - science communication
KW  - conceptual metaphors
KW  - visual communication
UR  - https://www.computer.org/csdl/journal/tg/2025/01/10682437/20jHhfBBZ04
N2  - We apply an approach from cognitive linguistics by mapping Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) to the visualization domain to address patterns of visual conceptual metaphors that are often used in science infographics. Metaphors play an essential part in visual communication and are frequently employed to explain complex concepts. However, their use is often based on intuition, rather than following a formal process. At present, we lack tools and language for understanding and describing metaphor use in visualization to the extent where taxonomy and grammar could guide the creation of visual components, e.g., infographics. Our classification of the visual conceptual mappings within scientific representations is based on the breakdown of visual components in existing scientific infographics. We demonstrate the development of this mapping through a detailed analysis of data collected from four domains (biomedicine, climate, space, and anthropology) that represent a diverse range of visual conceptual metaphors used in the visual communication of science. This work allows us to identify patterns of visual conceptual metaphor use within the domains, resolve ambiguities about why specific conceptual metaphors are used, and develop a better overall understanding of visual metaphor use in scientific infographics. Our analysis shows that ontological and orientational conceptual metaphors are the most widely applied to translate complex scientific concepts. To support our findings we developed a visual exploratory tool based on the collected database that places the individual infographics on a spatio-temporal scale and illustrates the breakdown of visual conceptual metaphors.
ER  -

POKOJNÁ, Hana; Tobias ISENBERG; Stefan BRUCKNER; Barbora KOZLÍKOVÁ a Laura GARRISON. The Language of Infographics: Toward Understanding Conceptual Metaphor Use in Scientific Storytelling. \textit{IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics}. United States of America, 2025, roč.~31, č.~1, s.~371-381. ISSN~1077-2626. Dostupné z: https://doi.org/10.1109/TVCG.2024.3456327.

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