Time-aware Consideration towards the Intelligent GIS User Interface Design

Time-aware Consideration towards the Intelligent GIS User Interface Design | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Time-aware Consideration towards the Intelligent GIS User Interface Design Jung-Hong Hong, Sin-Yi Ho This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9171396/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The effectiveness of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) relies heavily on the integration of heterogeneous datasets to represent dynamic real-world phenomena. Each dataset is inherently temporal, capturing a snapshot of geographic features at a specific moment in time. Despite this, conventional GIS user interfaces often lack mechanisms to appropriately incorporate temporal information, which may hinder accurate interpretation and decision-making. To address this limitation, this study introduces a framework based on the concept of valid time, incorporating standardized temporal attributes and an intersection-based approach to determine valid time ranges across multiple datasets. Building upon the VISA intelligent interface, this study proposes an enhanced VISTA interface that integrates a theme-based temporal ruler, allowing users to better comprehend and navigate temporal ranges of analysis results. The interface employs a refined valid-time slider to dynamically update displayed information as datasets are added or removed. Findings demonstrate that time-aware interface design not only improves the accuracy of GIS operations but also facilitates informed decision-making by enabling users to interpret outcomes with temporal clarity. This research highlights the necessity of embedding temporal considerations into intelligent GIS interfaces and provides design strategies that can guide future GIS applications toward improved transparency, usability, and analytical robustness. Physical sciences/Engineering Physical sciences/Mathematics and computing Time-aware intelligent interface GIS operation valid time theme-based ruler Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 04 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 28 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 07 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 06 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 31 Mar, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 31 Mar, 2026 Editor invited by journal 25 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 23 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 23 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 19 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9171396","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":616546398,"identity":"06e44e6a-bf08-4178-9cdf-adcddf69cd13","order_by":0,"name":"Jung-Hong Hong","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National Cheng Kung University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jung-Hong","middleName":"","lastName":"Hong","suffix":""},{"id":616546399,"identity":"fb52fde2-5e31-4e4a-bec5-1df3d603af5b","order_by":1,"name":"Sin-Yi Ho","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA6ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBAC9vaGhAMSBjY8/OwNQK6BBWEtPGcOPHxgUZAmJ9lzAKRFgggtNxwfG1R8OGxscCMBxCdGiwRzmsQNA+bEmTOfX93wo0CCgb+9OwG/Fum2NMkZBmyJ/dI5ZTd7gA6TOHN2A14t9jJn0qQlDHgSZ87OSbvBA9RiIJGLXwuPRP436T8GEokbbp5Ju/mHOC0JyQYSBgZA77Mfu02cLTwHEh9IGCQAAzmH7baMgQQPQb/wsIOi8s9/YFQef3bzzR8bOf72XvxakHUbgElilYMA+wNSVI+CUTAKRsEIAgAVNEqjifhwyQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"National Cheng Kung University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sin-Yi","middleName":"","lastName":"Ho","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-03-19 15:54:17","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9171396/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9171396/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":106094463,"identity":"f87d14e5-4ead-44a7-95f5-48025d88be46","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-03 11:42:40","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1624312,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"TimeAwaretowardstheIntelligentGISUserInterfaceScientificReports.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9171396/v1_covered_0eaf741d-bff1-478e-b46e-71a6d61bf1fb.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Time-aware Consideration towards the Intelligent GIS User Interface Design","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Time-aware, intelligent interface, GIS operation, valid time, theme-based ruler","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9171396/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9171396/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe effectiveness of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) relies heavily on the integration of heterogeneous datasets to represent dynamic real-world phenomena. 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