# Understanding the Research-Practice Gap in Visualization Design Guidelines

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.09614 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.09614/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 14 Oct 2023.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Agentic Authoring of Interactive Multiview Visualizations in Genomics](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.00370/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Although empirical research often underpins practical visualization guidelines, it remains unclear how well these research-driven insights are reflected in the guidelines practitioners actually use. In this paper, we investigate the research-practice gap in visualization design guidelines through a mixed-methods approach. We collected 390 design guidelines from practitioner-facing sources and 235 empirical studies to quantitatively assess their alignment. To complement this analysis, we conducted surveys with 69 participants (33 practitioners, 36 researchers) and in-depth interviews with 20 experts to examine their experiences, perceptions, and challenges. Our findings reveal discrepancies: empirical evidence often contradicts or only partially supports widely used guidelines, and the two communities prioritize different attributes of design. Based on these insights, we derive a holistic guideline template (integrating Context, Approach, Problem, and Purpose) and discuss actionable strategies, such as a triadic knowledge model.