The paper identifies conditions that allow the use of visualization means as tools for practical study of heterogeneous data. Effectiveness requirements, the amount of input data or uncertainty of the overall goal of data analysis should be considered complicating factors for such a study. Development and practical application of visualization tools allow to overcome these factors as a result of using the advantages of visual perception for the source data interpretation. Use of cognitive maps has been proposed as a way to compensate for the subjective aspects of visual perception, as well as a tool for verifying the results of visual analysis. Combined use of visualization tools and cognitive maps forms cognitive interpretation technology, which allows solving the problems of research of empirical data belonging to specialized subject areas. An example application of this technology for processing biomedical data is considered.