# Ethical Dimensions of Visualization Research

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1811.07271 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1811.07271/

## Key facts

- Cited by 10 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 18 Nov 2018.

## Built on by (most cited first, 10 of 10)

- [VisText: A Benchmark for Semantically Rich Chart Captioning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.05356/) (2023)
- [Beyond Expertise and Roles: A Framework to Characterize the Stakeholders of Interpretable Machine Learning and their Needs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2101.09824/) (2021)
- [Counterfactual Explanations for Machine Learning: Challenges Revisited](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2106.07756/) (2021)
- [Understanding the LLM-ification of CHI: Unpacking the Impact of LLMs at CHI through a Systematic Literature Review](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.12557/) (2025)
- [Can GPT-4 Models Detect Misleading Visualizations?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.12617/) (2024)
- [User Ex Machina : Simulation as a Design Probe in Human-in-the-Loop Text Analytics](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2101.02244/) (2021)
- [Exploring Effectiveness of Explanations for Appropriate Trust: Lessons from Cognitive Psychology](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.03737/) (2022)
- [Behavior Matters: An Alternative Perspective on Promoting Responsible Data Science](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.17273/) (2024)
- [Survey for Categorising Explainable AI Studies Using Data Analysis Task Frameworks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.10208/) (2025)
- [When Charts Deceive Web Agents: A Paired Benchmark for Misleading Visualization-Grounded Tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2610.12823/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Visualizations have a potentially enormous influence on how data are used to make decisions across all areas of human endeavor. However, it is not clear how this power connects to ethical duties: what obligations do we have when it comes to visualizations and visual analytics systems, beyond our duties as scientists and engineers? Drawing on historical and contemporary examples, I address the moral components of the design and use of visualizations, identify some ongoing areas of visualization research with ethical dilemmas, and propose a set of additional moral obligations that we have as designers, builders, and researchers of visualizations.