Making Sense of Sensemaking 1: Alternative Perspectives

Abstract

This essay discusses the notion of sensemaking, including definitions and possible applications for intelligent decision support systems. The perspectives on the notion of sensemaking are those of psychology, human-centered computing, and naturalistic decision making. The essay discusses a number of myths about sensemaking (for example, that sensemaking is merely "connecting the dots"), showing how empirical evidence about expert decision making refutes the myths.