Applying a Visual Analytics Intent Language to Infer Ambiguous or Underspecified Intent

An electronic device has one or more processors and memory. The memory stores one or more programs configured for execution by the one or more processors. The device receives a request directed to a data source. The request includes one or more intent types and one or more predefined attributes associated with the intent types. Each of the predefined attributes limits a respective data analysis operation of a respective intent type. In response to the request, for each of the intent types, the device formulates a respective intent specification according to the request. The device also applies one or more respective rules corresponding to the respective intent type to determine whether the respective intent type is ambiguous and/or underspecified. When the respective intent type is ambiguous and/or underspecified, the device infers information to resolve the ambiguous and/or underspecified intent.