Topics

The workshop focuses on the issue of modelling "natural" argumentation.  

Naturalness may involve the use of means which are more visual than linguistic to illustrate a point, such as graphics or multimedia.  Or to the use of more sophisticated rhetorical devices, interacting at various layers of abstraction.  Or the exploitation of "extra-rational" characteristics of the audience, taking into account emotions and affective factors.

CMNA has the following areas of interest:

  • The characteristics of natural arguments: ontological aspects and cognitive issues.
  • Personalisation and tailoring of argument to a specific audience
  • Models of arguer and models of audience
  • The use of models from informal logic and argumentation theory, and in particular, approaches to specific schools of thought developed in informal logic and argumentation.
  • Rhetoric and affect: the role of emotions, personalities, etc. in models of argumentation.
  • The roles of maneuvering and deceit and the ethical implications of implemented systems demonstrating such features.
  • The linguistic characteristics of natural argumentation, including discourse markers, sentence format, referring expressions, and style. Persuasive discourse processing (discourse goals and structure, speaker/hearer models, content selection, etc.). Language dependence and multilingual approaches. Empirical work based on corpora looking at these topics are especially welcomed.
  • Non-monotonic, defeasible and uncertain argumentation.
  • Natural argumentation and media: visual arguments, multi-modal arguments, spoken arguments.
  • Models of argumentation in multi-agent systems inspired by or based upon theories of human argument.
  • Empirically driven models of argument in AI and Law.
  • Evaluative arguments and their application in AI systems (such as decision support and advice giving).
  • Issues of domain specificity, and in particular, the independence of argumentation techniques from the domain of application.
  • Applications of computer supported collaborative argumentation, in realistic domains in which argument plays a key role, including pedagogy, e-democracy and public debate.
  • Applications of argumentation based systems, including, for example, the pedagogical, health-related, political, and promotional.
  • Methods to better convey the structure of complex argument, including representation and summarisation.
  • Tools for interacting with structures of argument, including visualisation tools and interfaces supporting natural, stylised or formal dialogue.
  • The building of computational resources such as online corpora related to argumentation.