Automatically recognizing intended messages in grouped bar charts

Information graphics (bar charts, line graphs, grouped bar charts, etc.) often appear in popular media such as newspapers and magazines. In most cases, the information graphic is intended to convey a high-level message; this message plays a role in understanding the document but is seldom repeated in the document's text. This paper presents our methodology for recognizing the intended message of a grouped bar chart. We discuss the types of messages communicated in grouped bar charts, the communicative signals that serve as evidence for the message, and the design and evaluation of our implemented system.