We conducted a within-subject experiment involving 13 participants that
empirically explore how two different models of story delivery involving
information visualization influence audience-constructed narratives. The
first model involves a speaker using visualization software to communicate a
direct narrative, while the second involves constructing a story by
interactively exploring visualization software. We used an open-ended
questionnaire in controlled laboratory settings, with the primary goal of
collecting a number of stories derived from the two models, followed by two
Likert-scale questions on the ease of telling and curiosity about the story
in each delivery model. We qualitatively analysed the stories constructed by
the participants, based on a number of themes tied to storytelling, including
time and place and narrative structure. The study's results reveal some
interesting possible differences in how users receive, interpret, and create
stories in each case.