# What are Data Insights to Professional Visualization Users?

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2008.13057 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2008.13057/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 29 Aug 2020.

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [Accessible Visualization via Natural Language Descriptions: A Four-Level Model of Semantic Content](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.04406/) (2021)
- [AnaMeta: A Table Understanding Dataset of Field Metadata Knowledge Shared by Multi-dimensional Data Analysis Tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.00946/) (2022)
- [Scaling Unverifiable Rewards: A Case Study on Visual Insights](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.22650/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

While many visualization researchers have attempted to define data insights, little is known about how visualization users perceive them. We interviewed 23 professional users of end-user visualization platforms (e.g., Tableau and Power BI) about their experiences with data insights. We report on seven characteristics of data insights based on interviewees' descriptions. Grounded in these characteristics, we propose practical implications for creating tools that aim to automatically communicate data insights to users.