Beyond English: Centering Multilingualism in Data Visualization

TL;DR

This paper highlights the importance of incorporating multilingual perspectives in data visualization, demonstrating how monolingual practices can marginalize non-English communities and proposing inclusive research directions.

Contribution

It introduces a case study on Madagascar illustrating linguistic impacts on visualization reasoning and advocates for more inclusive, multilingual visualization practices.

Findings

Monolingual visualization practices can marginalize non-English speakers.

Linguistic diversity enriches data visualization understanding.

Inclusive practices can mitigate harm to underrepresented communities.

Abstract

Information visualization and natural language are intricately linked. However, the majority of research and relevant work in information and data visualization (and human-computer interaction) involve English-speaking populations as both researchers and participants, are published in English, and are presented predominantly at English-speaking venues. Although several solutions can be proposed such as translating English texts in visualization to other languages, there is little research that looks at the intersection of data visualization and different languages, and the implications that current visualization practices have on non-English speaking communities. In this position paper, we argue that linguistically diverse communities abound beyond the English-speaking world and offer a richness of experiences for the visualization research community to engage with. Through a case study of how two non-English languages interplay with data visualization reasoning in Madagascar, we describe how monolingualism in data visualization impacts the experiences of underrepresented populations and emphasize potential harm to these communities. Lastly, we raise several questions towards advocating for more inclusive visualization practices that center the diverse experiences of linguistically underrepresented populations.