03 June 2010

Annotated pedigree on a timeline

Here is an idea for a new kind of pedigree display:
Annotated splay tree on a timeline
instead of the conventional:
Split tree with generational columns

I want to show you how this plays out for my family. There are enough steps, that I'd like to show each step, introducing one new display element at a time.

First, here is my family in traditional split tree, generational columns form:


Next, here is my family in splay tree form, still in generational columns:


Now, here is my family in traditional split tree form, but on a timeline:


Now, combine the two -- here is my family in splay tree form *and* on a timeline:


While it is interesting to see the generations grouped together, it would be interesting to see generational hints on the timelines themselves.

One annotation I found useful is something I want to call "generational progression". Ok, so the name is a rough cut, here is the legend:
  • "<<<": time that this person lived before having the child that appears on this pedigree
  • "===": time that this person lived *after* having the child that appears on this pedigree, but *before* having the grandchild (if any) that appears on this pedigree
  • "---": time that this person lived *after* having any grandchild on this pedigree


Here is my family annotated in such a way in split tree form:


And annotated in splay tree form:


What would be nice is to have this graphically displayed, instead of my hokey text attempt. Also, it would be nice to have this be data-driven. But despite the hokey text format, this let me see things about my family that I had not been able to see before. Like how my Grandma was 6 when her mom died. And that I wanted to ask my dad about his memories of his grandpa who was still alive when my dad was 8 or something.

I met Janet Hovorka at the BYU Computerized Genealogy Conference. I saw her chart work, remembered this idea, showed this to her, and promised a writeup. This is my shot at keeping that promise, even if it's a little late. :)

The idea to put stuff on timelines and to annotate things graphically comes straight from listening to, and reading the works of Edward Tufte.