Multivariate Data

Data in which each observation or sample has more than two measured variables (dimensions). Analysing multivariate data is a core task in statistics, science, and business intelligence, but presenting it accessibly is difficult: traditional charts effectively show two or three dimensions at a time. Techniques for conveying multivariate data include Andrews curves, Chernoff faces, parallel coordinates, small multiples, and — as Bly (1982) demonstrated — sonification, in which each data variable is mapped to a distinct sound characteristic. Accessible multivariate-data presentation often combines modalities (visual, auditory, tactile) so that users with different sensory abilities can extract the same relationships.