Corpora: Computational Models of Natural Language Argument

From: Floriana Grasso (floriana@csc.liv.ac.uk)
Date: Tue Nov 28 2000 - 18:43:13 MET

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    =============================================================================

                             International workshop on

                 Computational Models of Natural Language Argument

                     to be held in conjunction with ICCS'2001

                          San Francisco, May 28-30, 2001

                   http://www.csc.liv.ac.uk/~floriana/CMNLA.html

                                  CALL FOR PAPERS

    Abstract
    ========
    Natural language argument represents both a challenge and an opportunity
    for computational modelling, from both understanding and generation points
    of view. Argumentation is typically rich with rhetorical devices
    interacting at many different layers of abstraction, and is heavily
    dependent upon extra-linguistic context if it is to be successful. On the
    other hand, there is a well developed literature on both argumentation
    theory and rhetoric which offers great potential for exploitation in
    computational models. This workshop aims to gather together the current
    state of the art in the interdisciplinary area between argumentation and
    computational linguistics, and to provide a forum in which to develop new
    cross-disciplinary collaborations and new lines of inquiry.

    Areas of Interest
    =================
    Abstracts are invited on the following topics:

       * The linguistic characteristics of argumentative texts, including
         discourse markers, sentence format, referring expressions, and style.
       * The generation of natural language arguments: techniques in natural
         language generation to account for argumentation and persuasion
         (including techniques for handling discourse goals and structure,
         speaker/hearer models, content selection, etc.)
       * The use of models from informal logic and argumentation theory in NLP,
         and in particular, approaches to specific schools of thought developed
         in informal logic and argumentation.
       * Corpora based studies of argumentative texts.
       * Rhetoric and affect: the role of emotions, personalities, etc. in
         argumentative discourse.
       * Computational approaches to the similarities and differences between
         dialogic and monologic argumentation.
       * Issues of domain specificity, and in particular, the independence that
         argumentation techniques have from the domain of discourse, and the
         extent to which generic NLP systems can be applied to the domain of
         argumentation itself.
       * Language dependence and multilingual approaches to argumentation.
       * The ethical implications of implemented systems demonstrating, for
         example, licentiousness and deceipt.
       * Applications of argumentation based NLP systems, including, for
         example, the pedagogical, health-related, political, and promotional.

    The organisers encourage submission from researchers in both computational
    linguistics and the philosophy of argument, and related fields, in order to
    stimulate cross-disciplinary fertilisation.

    Submissions
    ===========
    Papers are solicited in any of the areas of interest of the workshop listed
    above. Submissions should be in English, should not exceed 5,000 words, or
    a maximum of 10 pages, and should be formatted in accordance with the
    Springer Verlag LNCS style, available at
    http://www.springer.de/comp/lncs/authors.html. Submission implies the
    willingness of at least one of the authors to attend the workshop and
    present the paper.

    Papers may fall into one of three categories:

       * reports on completed work
       * descriptions of current, but mature, work in progress
       * more polemic essays on burning issues

    The last two, in particular, are aimed at stimulating discussion which will
    form a key component of the workshop's structure.

    Electronic submissions (postscript .ps or portable document format .pdf
    files) are strongly encouraged. Submitted papers should be received by one
    of the organisers no later than 9 February 2001.

    Venue
    =====
    The workshop will be held in conjuction with the International Conference
    on Computational Science (ICCS'2001), Hilton San Francisco and Towers, San
    Francisco, USA. More information is available from the ICCS web-site at
    http://www.hpcc.rdg.ac.uk/iccs (mirror site at http://www.ucalgary.ca.iccs/).

    Publication
    ===========
    All accepted papers will appear in a volume, to be published by Springer
    Verlag, in the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series. The
    organisers are currently in negotiation to arrange subsequent extended
    publication as a special issue of a prominent journal.

    Registration
    ============
    Attendance to the workshop is free of charge, but all attendees of the
    workshop must register for the ICCS conference (for information please
    refer to the ICCS web-site).

    Important Dates
    ===============
    - Paper submission deadline 9 February 2001
    - Notification of acceptance/rejection 1 March 2001
    - Camera ready due to organisers 23 March 2001
    - Pre-registration to ICCS 29 March 2001
    - ICCS conference 28-30 May 2001

    Programme Committee
    ===================
    - Cristiano Castelfranchi, Department of Communication Science, University of
      Siena, Italy.
    - Fiorella de Rosis, Department of Informatics, University of Bari, Italy.
    - Floriana Grasso, (co-organiser), Department of Computer Science, University
      of Liverpool, England.
    - Leo Groarke, Department of Philosophy, Wilfrid Laurier University,
      Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
    - Chris Reed, (co-organiser), Department of Applied Computing, University of
      Dundee, Scotland.
    - Ehud Reiter, Department of Computer Science, University of Aberdeen,
      Scotland.
    - Antoinette Renouf, Department of English Language and Literature,
      University of Liverpool, England.

    Contact
    =======
    All enquiries and submissions should be directed to one of the organisers:

               Floriana Grasso Chris Reed
        Department of Computer Science Department of Applied Computing
           University of Liverpool University of Dundee
                 Peach Street Park Wynd
              Liverpool L69 7ZF Dundee DD1 4HN
                   England Scotland
          Tel. (+44)(0)151 794 3680 Tel. (+44)(0)1382 348083
          Fax. (+44)(0)151 794 3715 Fax. (+44)(0)1382 345509
           floriana@csc.liv.ac.uk chris@computing.dundee.ac.uk



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