SuperProvenanceWidgets: Tracking and Visualizing Analytic Provenance Across UI Control Elements

arXiv:2604.15342v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: ProvenanceWidgets is an existing JavaScript library that tracks the recency and frequency of user interactions with individual UI controls (e.g., range sliders and dropdowns) and dynamically overlays this provenance onto them. In this work, we introduce SuperProvenanceWidgets, an extension to ProvenanceWidgets featuring a new SuperWidget that similarly tracks and visualizes provenance but across multiple UI controls, enabling users to understand how, when, and whether different UI controls were used. Through three example usage scenarios, we demonstrate how this cross-control SuperWidget helps (a) audit and share analysis workflows, (b) surface and mitigate exploration biases, and (c) facilitate user interface design and personalization. We also perform a technical self-assessment using the Cognitive Dimensions of Notations to evaluate the library’s usability for developers. SuperProvenanceWidgets is integrated into the ProvenanceWidgets library and is available as open-source software at ProvenanceWidgets.github.io, empowering developers to build advanced provenance applications.