Interactive document summarisation.

This paper describes the Interactive Document Summariser (IDS), a dynamic document summarisation system, which can help users of digital libraries to access on-line documents more effectively. IDS provides dynamic control over summary characteristics, such as length and topic focus, so that changes made by the user are instantly reflected in an on-screen summary. A range of 'summary-in-context' views support seamless transitions between summaries and their source documents. IDS creates summaries by extracting keyphrases from a document with the Kea system, scoring sentences according to the keyphrases that they contain, and then extracting the highest scoring sentences. We report an evaluation of IDS summaries, in which human assessors identified suitable summary sentences in source documents, against which IDS summaries were judged. We found that IDS summaries were better than baseline summaries, and identify the characteristics of Kea keyphrases that lead to the best summaries

Strengthening Evidence-Based Policy Outputs: April 2015 – December 2016

This is the third and final brochure describing the outputs of the Strengthening Evidence-Based Policy programme. Over 57 months this programme generated and synthesised policy-relevant evidence, and contributed to policy processes around seven major themes, including: food and nutrition; addressing and mitigating violence; empowerment of women and girls; pro-poor electricity provision; rising powers in international development; sexuality, law and development; and policy anticipation, response and evaluation. During the last nine months of the programme additional work was undertaken in a number of other areas. Some would argue that we have entered into a ‘post-truth era'. This is intimately tied to the programme’s central concern with evidence – what it is, how it is synthesised and presented, and where it is lacking – and the roles it plays in public policy to reduce poverty and inequality, and promote sustainable development. It is not that we previously believed we operated in a ‘truth era’ or that expert advice was or should be beyond question. Indeed, the theory of change that underpinned the Strengthening Evidence-Based Policy programme made explicit our appreciation of the politics of knowledge, and its implications for the policy process. To one degree or another, everything about evidence is political. But this recognition does not lead us to throw our hands into the air, or to despair of any possibility that research and new knowledge creation can contribute to better development policy and outcomes. Rather it makes us all the more aware of the opportunities and dangers associated with the different pathways to policy change, and how the politics of evidence play out – and can be influenced – in these different pathways. For scientific study and evidence of what works to continue to be relevant and effective we must rededicate ourselves to critical reflection, methodological appropriateness, participation, partnership and creative engagement, and a heightened awareness of the evolving politics of knowledge – what at IDS we call ‘engaged excellence’. The outputs described in this brochure, and the demonstrable policy impacts they have already had, help point the way.UK Department for International Developmen

IDS Annual Review 2015-16

Get an overview of our values, strategic goals and approach which includes our distinctive commitment to ‘engaged excellence’ across all that we do. Discover how we are strengthening our strategic partnerships in research and mutual learning, and supporting the next generation of development leaders. Read about our key areas of focus and how we are contributing to transformations that reduce inequalities, accelerate sustainability and build inclusive and secure societies

Strengthening Evidence-Based Policy: Outputs November 2012 – March 2014

Knowledge and evidence are important elements of all policy processes. While the availability of more or higher quality evidence does not guarantee better policy processes, it is difficult to imagine how development policy and outcomes can be improved without it. In addition to a myriad of development problems, the increasing recognition of diversity, complexity and context means that policy-relevant knowledge and evidence must address different scales of analysis, speak to different audiences and be accessible in a variety of formats. This brochure presents selected outputs from the first two years of an IDS programme entitled Strengthening Evidence-based Policy funded through an Accountable Grant from the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Work under this grant addresses six major policy themes: 1. Reducing Hunger and Undernutrition 2. Addressing and Mitigating Violence 3. Empowerment of Women and Girls 4. Pro-Poor Electricity Provision 5. Rising Powers in International Development 6. Sexuality, Poverty and Law In addition, there is a cross-cutting theme focusing on Foresight, Impact Assessment and Rapid Response. Work under this grant privileges the review and synthesis of existing knowledge and evidence over new primary research. The modus operandi is one of ‘co-construction’: a broad range of partners have played critical roles in the conception, generation and dissemination of these outputs. Beyond publication, IDS and its partners are actively working to integrate these outputs, and the lessons and recommendations that emerge from them, into policy processes at local, national and global scales.UK Department for International Developmen

Transforming Knowledge, Transforming Lives

IDS’ research, learning and teaching seeks to understand and respond to these disruptions and shocks by working more ambitiously, collaboratively, politically and internationally than ever before. We are entering the decade of delivery for the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development (Global Goals). The transformative change needed to make progress against this ambitious framework will only happen through a deeper collective recognition that this is a universal agenda, and that the challenges we face are interconnected and cannot be addressed in isolation. By recognising this, a politics of hope can emerge around what is possible in terms of more equitable and sustainable futures