In visualization, we use the terms data, information and knowledge extensively, often in an interrelated context. In many cases, they indicate different levels of abstraction, understanding, or truthfulness. For example, "visualization is concerned with exploring data and information," "the primary objective in data visualization is to gain insight into an information space," and "information visualization" is for "data mining and knowledge discovery." In other cases, these three terms indicate data types, for instance, as adjectives in noun phrases, such as data visualization, information visualization, and knowledge visualization. These examples suggest that data, information, and knowledge could serve as both the input and output of a visualization process, raising questions about their exact role in visualization.

Throughout history, storytelling has been an effective way of conveying information and knowledge. In the field of visualization, storytelling is rapidly gaining momentum and evolving cutting-edge techniques that enhance understanding. Many communities have commented on the importance of storytelling in data visualization. Storytellers tend to be integrating complex visualizations into their narratives in growing numbers. In this paper, we present a survey of storytelling literature in visualization and present an overview of the common and important elements in storytelling visualization. We also describe the challenges in this field as well as a novel classification of the literature on storytelling in visualization. Our classification scheme highlights the open and unsolved problems in this field as well as the more mature storytelling sub-fields. The benefits offer a concise overview and a starting point into this rapidly evolving research trend and provide a deeper understanding of this topic.