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Our research community\u2019s understanding of the work processes and practices of intelligence analysts is not deep enough to adequately address their needs. Without a better understanding of the analysts and their problems, we cannot build visual analytics systems that integrate well with their work processes and truly provide benefit to them. In order to close this knowledge gap, we conducted a longitudinal, observational field study of intelligence analysts in training within the intelligence program at Mercyhurst College. We observed three teams of analysts, each working on an intelligence problem for a 10-week period. Based on the findings of the study, we describe and characterize processes and methods of intelligence analysis that we observed, make clarifications regarding the processes and practices, and suggest design implications for visual analytics systems for intelligence analysis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/1473871612468877","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2012,12,22]],"date-time":"2012-12-22T21:03:48Z","timestamp":1356210228000},"page":"134-158","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Characterizing the intelligence analysis process through a longitudinal field study: Implications for visual analytics"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Youn-ah","family":"Kang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA"}]},{"given":"John","family":"Stasko","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2012,12,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-1473871612468877","first-page":"99","volume-title":"IEEE conference on visual analytics science and technology (VAST)","author":"Bier E"},{"key":"bibr2-1473871612468877","unstructured":"i2\u2014Analyst\u2019s Notebook. http:\/\/www.i2group.com\/us (accessed 15 March 2011)."},{"key":"bibr3-1473871612468877","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1057\/palgrave.ivs.9500180"},{"key":"bibr4-1473871612468877","first-page":"801","volume-title":"ACM SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems","author":"Wright W"},{"key":"bibr5-1473871612468877","first-page":"11","volume-title":"ACM SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems","author":"Chin G"},{"key":"bibr6-1473871612468877","unstructured":"Johnston R. 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Appropriate factors to consider when assessing analytic confidence in intelligence analysis. Master Thesis, Mercyhurst College, Erie, PA, 2008."},{"key":"bibr27-1473871612468877","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/CBO9780511754470"},{"key":"bibr28-1473871612468877","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1109\/MIS.2006.100"},{"key":"bibr29-1473871612468877","unstructured":"Eli AB, Hutchins J. Intelligence after Intellipedia: improving the push pull balance with a social networking utility. Research Report from Information Science and Technology Directoratet, Defense Technical Information Center, Fort Belvoir, VA, February 2010."},{"key":"bibr30-1473871612468877","volume-title":"Structured analytic techniques for intelligence analysis","author":"Heuer RJ","year":"2010"},{"key":"bibr31-1473871612468877","unstructured":"Wheaton K. Wikis in intelligence. 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