A discursive grid approach to model local coherence in multi-document summaries

Multi-document summarization is a very important area of Natural Language Processing (NLP) nowadays because of the huge amount of data in the web. People want more and more information and this information must be coherently organized and summarized. The main focus of this paper is to deal with the coherence of multi-document summaries. Therefore, a model that uses discursive information to automatically evaluate local coherence in multi-document summaries has been developed. This model obtains 92.69% of accuracy in distinguishing coherent from incoherent summaries, outperforming the state of the art in the area.CAPESFAPESPUniversity of Goiá

Enriching entity grids and graphs with discourse relations: the impact in local coherence evaluation

This paper describes how discursive knowledge, given by the discursive theories RST (Rhetorical Structure Theory) and CST (Crossdocument Structure Theory), may improve the automatic evaluation of local coherence in multi-document summaries. Two of the main coherence models from literature were incremented with discursive information and obtained 91.3% of accuracy, with a gain of 53% in relation to the original results.FAPES

NLP Driven Models for Automatically Generating Survey Articles for Scientific Topics.

This thesis presents new methods that use natural language processing (NLP) driven models for summarizing research in scientific fields. Given a topic query in the form of a text string, we present methods for finding research articles relevant to the topic as well as summarization algorithms that use lexical and discourse information present in the text of these articles to generate coherent and readable extractive summaries of past research on the topic. In addition to summarizing prior research, good survey articles should also forecast future trends. With this motivation, we present work on forecasting future impact of scientific publications using NLP driven features.PhDComputer Science and EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113407/1/rahuljha_1.pd

Dialogue and Roles in a Strategy Workshop: Discovering Patterns through Discourse Analysis

Strategy workshops are frequently used by Executive management teams to discuss and formulate strategy but are under-researched and under-reported in the academic literature. This study uses Discourse Analysis to discover participant roles and dialogic patterns in an Executive management team’s strategy workshop, together with their effect on the workshop’s operation and outcome. The study shows how the workshop participants adopt different roles through their language and content. It then identifies a dialogic pattern in the workshop discourse, with the emphasis on achieving shared understanding rather than winning the debate. The workshop facilitator’s role is shown to bring discussion as a counter balance to the group’s dialogue, focusing the evolving dialogic discourse on actionable outcomes. The study goes on to show how these two discourse features combine to enable a comprehensive exploration of a strategic topic in a limited time frame and to build a consensus based strategy to be followed. The group’s use of metaphor and the construction of organisation and individual identities were also examined. They were shown to have limited impact on the developing roles, dialogic discourse or workshop’s outcome. Overall, the analysis shows how the combination of roles and dialogue surface implicit meaning from the group’s discourse and enable a significant shift in the groups thinking, charting the way for a fresh perspective on an acknowledged long-standing, strategic problem

Error in the learning and teaching of english as a second language at higher education level

Linguistic error has proven to be a recurrent area of interest for researchers. There exist several types of approaches to error; some studies have focused on specific errors, such as grammatical errors, others on more general or exogenous issues, such as the perception of error of the group object of study, etc. From the point of view of methodology, some have been dedicated to the definition and description of error, while others have studied the identification of erroneous uses of language. Several proposals for error categorisation have also been propounded. In the case of error production in languages foreign to the speaker, the learning factor must also be included. Some authors have focused on the underlying reasons, questioning if the cause for errors rests upon an inadequate teaching method, or the actual teacher, or even if the cause is intrinsic to any learnt language, as opposed to the Mother Tongue. From the principle that it is possible to improve the language proficiency level of students by looking at the errors produced, this doctoral dissertation studies pragmatic error in the production of written English. In addition, it includes pedagogic perspectives that introduce a Second Language to potential speakers and the European Framework of Reference. The thesis is structured as follows: the first part is dedicated to a theoretical justification of the research, with an introduction to Pragmatics, Error Analysis, Contrastive Analysis, Second Language Acquisition -in particular the Communicative Approach- and the European Framework for Languages. The third chapter is dedicated to the objectives. Chapter 4 explains the methodology used for data processing and analysis. The results are explained in chapter 5 and chapter 6 presents the conclusions derived from these. To begin with, a proposal for error analysis and identification is presented. This takes into account error distribution and classification and language levels proposed in the Common Europea Framework of Reference for Languages as an open tool for the analysis of errors investigated.Mestre I Mestre, EM. (2011). Error in the learning and teaching of english as a second language at higher education level [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/11277Palanci

Analyzing public discourse on photovoltaic (PV) adoption in Indonesia: A topic-based sentiment analysis of news articles and social media

The importance of integrating renewable energy, such as solar PV, in the global energy mix for mitigating carbon emissions is increasing. Despite the global drive towards renewable energy, the limited uptake of solar PV particularly in developing nations, such as Indonesia, poses significant challenges for transition to sustainable energy. This study analyses public discourse to comprehend the obstacles for widespread adoption of solar PV technologies. This study employs topic modelling and sentiment analysis of mainstream and social media data to comprehensively capture public discourse and perceptions concerning PV and residential PV adoption in Indonesia. The findings reveal shared thematic areas in both mainstream and social media. Nonetheless, the two media types diverge significantly in their focal points. Our findings support previous survey-based research while introducing three new topics found in both media channels. These topics are: (1) knowledge, misconceptions, and skepticism, (2) economically viable alternative PV technologies; and (3) government regulations and policies. Social and visual impressions such as aesthetics, hedonic motivation, and social influence are notably absent. Public perception varies, with mainstream media portraying PV technology more positively than social media. From both media, the public generally holds favorable views of PV, particularly in terms of its practicality, installation, safety, and information accessibility. Nevertheless, negative perceptions arise regarding investment costs, regulations, governmental policies, and the adequacy of government support

Agency, Power, and Identity in Business Meetings: A Comparison Case Study Between Kuwaiti and American Organization

abstract: This dissertation examines the organizational discourse of business meetings in a Kuwaiti financial organization (Innovative Kuwait Co., pseudonym) and an American non-profit trade organization (Global Phoenix, pseudonym). Specifically, I explore the discourse and social identities, agency, and power used in staff members' task-oriented business meetings (Bargiela-Chiappini & Harris, 1997). The study is based on ethnographic business meetings data collected during eight months of fieldwork in 2010, 2011 and 2012. I used three major qualitative methodologies: observation, audio recording, and feedback focus group. In this study, I propose three research questions: 1) How does agency of staff members reflect membership in the corporate culture of an organization as a whole? 2) How is power used in relation to agency in business meetings? And 3) How are discourse and social identities of staff members enacted in business meetings? The analyses of ethnographic and fieldwork data demonstrate similar and different business linguistic behaviors in the two companies. In Innovative Kuwait Co., male managers are responsible for opening and closing the meetings. They also perform power by using language directives and suggestions directed to staff members. In contrast, female staff members in the Kuwaiti company participated insignificantly in meetings and produce more nonverbal cues. However, in one meeting, a female manager organized the discussion by controlling topics and giving directions. In Global Phoenix, female managers outnumber their male counterparts; therefore, agency, power, discourse, and social identities are performed differently. Female managers are responsible for opening and closing the meetings and for organizing the overall discussions. Additionally, female and male staff members participate equally and they interrupted their colleagues less frequently compared to staff members in Kuwait. Interestingly, American staff members laugh and joke more together than staff members in Kuwait. The findings of this dissertation will contribute to existing linguistic literature on business discourse and the examination of social meanings and structures in organizations, explaining how language shapes the actions and relationships of business staff members. This dissertation will also encourage business people to become mindful of the role of language and language training in developing and maintaining the corporate culture of their organizations.Dissertation/ThesisPh.D. English 201