| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/M75129/01 |
| Title: |
EXPLOITING THE SEMANTICS OF ALTERNATIVE SETS IN NATURAL LANGUAGE INTERACTION |
| Principal Investigator: |
Webber, Professor B |
| Other Investigators: |
|
| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
|
| Project Partners: |
|
| Department: |
Sch of Informatics |
| Organisation: |
University of Edinburgh |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 October 1999 |
Ends: |
30 September 2002 |
Value (£): |
52,284
|
| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Human Communication in ICT |
|
|
| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| Creative Industries |
Information Technologies |
| No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
|
|
| Related Grants: |
|
| Panel History: |
|
|
Summary on Grant Application Form |
|
We propose to carry out a vertical study of lexical elements such as other , like and unlike , besides , except , rather than and otherwise , whose semantics involves the concept of an alternative. Such ALT-WORDS, which are relatively common in Natural Language information retrieval requests, can significantly effect retrieval quality if they are ignored or mishandled. The study will start with a detailed formal semantic characterisation of these elements in terms of the linguistic concept of an ALTERNATIVE SET. We will then develop algorithms for maintaining relevant aspects of the discourse and using them to correctly discharge their anaphoric presuppositions. The algorithms will then be integrated into two types of application systems: 1. A Natural Language Information Retrieval (NLIR) system, where a proper treatment of ALT-WORDS can lead to increased precision in system responses to user requests, without loss of recall; and 2. A Context-to-Speech (CTS) generation system, where a proper treatment of ALT-WORDS can lead to more natural contrast stress in intonation. CTS will be demonstrated as an output modality for NLIR.
|
|
Key Findings |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
|
Potential use in non-academic contexts |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
|
Impacts |
|
| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
|
| Date Materialised |
|
|
|
|
Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
| Project URL: |
|
| Further Information: |
|
| Organisation Website: |
http://www.ed.ac.uk |