Information Structure Parsing for Chinese Legal Texts

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Sun
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Information Structure ◽  
Viterbi Algorithm ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Discourse Parsing ◽  
Legal Texts ◽  
Processing Information ◽  
Rule Based Approach

Information processing is one of the main concerns in the field of artificial intelligence, because it can benefit many related downstream tasks. To facilitate information processing, information structure parsing is assumed to be of great significance. This article proposes a discourse analysis based approach so that information structure of Chinese legal texts can be recognized automatically. This article employs Discourse Information Theory to explore information features of Chinese legal texts. The texts used in this study include 6 types, each type containing 60 training texts and 30 testing texts. After that, a set of rules is formulated to classify legal texts and identify the categories of information units. Finally, to examine the performance of the rules, a comparison is made by designing a Support Vector Machine classifier and a Viterbi algorithm decoder. The experiment demonstrates that the rule based approach outperforms the statistics based approaches. This research suggests that discourse analysis may provide some linguistic features conducive to discourse parsing.

scholarly journals The Dramatic Arc of the Theory of FSP: A Tentative Diachronic Excursion

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-149
Author(s):  
Martin Adam
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Information Structure ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Functional Sentence Perspective

Abstract The theory of functional sentence perspective (FSP) and its research methods have been considered one of the prominent tools of discourse analysis and information processing. It is widely known that, combining the approaches adopted both by formalists and functionalists, the theory of FSP draws on the findings presented by the scholars of the Prague Circle. The father of FSP himself - Jan Firbas - drew on the findings of his predecessor, Vilem Mathesius, who formulated the basic principles of what was to be labelled FSP only later. Apart from the principal FSP representatives and more recent followers (as a rule associated with Prague or Brno universities), this homage paper overviews somewhat less familiar - yet significant - pioneers in the field of theories of information structure, viz. Henri Weil, Samuel Brassai, Georg von der Gabelentz and Anton Marty. It will discuss some of their writings and achievements that were forming (and inspiring) the theory of FSP.

ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN CIVIL PROCESS

2019 ◽  
pp. 27-35
Author(s):  
Alexandr Neznamov
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Significant Feature ◽  
Legal Proceedings ◽  
Civil Process ◽  
Civil Proceedings ◽  
Processing Information ◽  
The Impact

Digital technologies are no longer the future but are the present of civil proceedings. That is why any research in this direction seems to be relevant. At the same time, some of the fundamental problems remain unattended by the scientific community. One of these problems is the problem of classification of digital technologies in civil proceedings. On the basis of instrumental and genetic approaches to the understanding of digital technologies, it is concluded that their most significant feature is the ability to mediate the interaction of participants in legal proceedings with information; their differentiating feature is the function performed by a particular technology in the interaction with information. On this basis, it is proposed to distinguish the following groups of digital technologies in civil proceedings: a) technologies of recording, storing and displaying (reproducing) information, b) technologies of transferring information, c) technologies of processing information. A brief description is given to each of the groups. Presented classification could serve as a basis for a more systematic discussion of the impact of digital technologies on the essence of civil proceedings. Particularly, it is pointed out that issues of recording, storing, reproducing and transferring information are traditionally more «technological» for civil process, while issues of information processing are more conceptual.

The Legitimating Power of Discourse

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 256-275
Author(s):  
Mustafa Menshawy
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
The State ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
The Political ◽  
Discursive Construction ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Media Texts ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Culturally Embedded

Abstract In this article, I examine a corpus of texts that address the 1973 war; these texts cover the period from 1981 to 2011, marking the beginning and end of Hosni Mubarak’s rule. Utilizing Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), I explore how Mubarak’s regime employed the war to legitimize its power and defend its policies by deploying longstanding culturally-embedded ‘macro themes’. These macro themes refer to the war as an overwhelming and undisputed ‘Egyptian victory’ and, more significantly, they portray Mubarak himself as ‘war personified/war personalized’. The analysis of linguistic and extra-linguistic features in al-Ahram newspaper (the mouthpiece of the state), among other media texts on the war, show how the discursive construction was made consistent, coherent and resonant in a managed context that characterized the political and media landscapes. Depending on unique access to those who produced, edited and even censored the texts under analysis, this method unravels a complex set of cultural messages and conventions about the war, and fills a lacuna in the literature by offering insight into the deliberate and well-coordinated process of shaping and reshaping a specific discourse for a specific purpose.

scholarly journals THE CRITIQUES AND IDEOLOGIES SHARED IN THE INAUGURATION SPEECH OF DONALD TRUMP (A STUDY OF CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS)

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Imron Hizbullah ◽  
Muhammad Taufiq Al Makmun
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Discursive Practice ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Three Dimensional Model ◽  
Donald Trump ◽  
Political Aspect ◽  
Political Condition

<em>This paper investigates the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) in studying the inauguration speech of Donald Trump at the Capitol Hill, Washington DC on January 20, 2017. The objective of the study is to uncover the hidden messages regarding ideologies shared and critiques appointed to Obama’s presidency. The paper uses the theory of CDA by Norman Fairclough by focusing on the three aspects of research which are (1) micro or linguistic analysis, (2) Mezzo or discursive analysis, and (3) macro or contextual analysis. The three dimensional model of CDA is aimed to uncover the ideologies shared and critiques appointed to based on linguistic features, socio-political aspect, and discursive practice. The American Dream is represented in seven issues risen which are (1) US economic condition during Obama’s presidency, (2) US political condition during Obama’s presidency, (3) US social condition during Obama’s presidency, (4) The concept of making America great again, (5) Anti-radical Muslim immigrants, (6) America First, and (7) Nationalism. The result of the study reveals that the speech brought some ideologies or thoughts shared to the audiences and might change the people’s perception on Obama’s two periods of presidency who is considered as failure.</em>

scholarly journals AN EXPLORATION OF GRAFFITI ON UNIVERSITY’S WALLS: A CORPUS-BASED DISCOURSE ANALYSIS STUDY

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nisreen Naji Al-Khawaldeh ◽  
Imad Khawaldeh ◽  
Baker Bani-Khair ◽  
Amal Al-Khawaldeh
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Language Functions ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
Teachers And Parents ◽  
The University ◽  
Hashemite University

Graffiti have received a great attention from scholars as they have been considered a vital cultural phenomenon for many years (Trahan, 2011; Divsalar & Nemati, 2012; Zakareviciute, 2014; Farnia, 2014; El-Nashar & Nayef; 2016). Although there are extensive contemporary researches on graffiti in many disciplines, such as linguistics, cultural studies, politics, art, and communication (Pietrosanti, 2010;  Farnia, 2014; Oganda, 2015), there are few studies exploring graffiti on classrooms’ walls in higher education milieus (Farnia, 2014). To the best knowledge of the researchers, very few studies were done on the Jordanian context (e.g. Al-Haj Eid, 2008; Abu-Jaber, et al., 2012) and none was done on the Jordanian universities. Therefore, this study aims at analysing the content and communicative features of writings found on universities’ classrooms’ walls, corridors, and washrooms and their relation to the socio-cultural values of the society in order to explore how universities help students voice their attitudes and thoughts. The linguistic features that characterise these writings were also examined. Graffiti-writings, which were collected from the University of Jordan and the Hashemite University, were coded and analysed using the thematic content analysis technique (Braun & Clarke, 2006) and Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough, 1995). The analysis of the data has shown that graffiti serve different communicative language functions related to personal, social, national, religious, political, and taboo matters. The most salient linguistic features of these graffiti are simplicity and variation. It can be concluded that graffiti are distinctive and silent ways of communication, particularly in students’ society. The study will be of great importance to linguists, sociologists, educators, administrators, teachers and parents. It is enrichment to the available literature on linguistic studies.

scholarly journals Key Components of Musical Discourse Analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evgeniya Aleshinskaya
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
General View ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Social Agents ◽  
The Social ◽  
Musical Discourse ◽  
Interdisciplinary Study

Abstract Musical discourse analysis is an interdisciplinary study which is incomplete without consideration of relevant social, linguistic, psychological, visual, gestural, ritual, technical, historical and musicological aspects. In the framework of Critical Discourse Analysis, musical discourse can be interpreted as social practice: it refers to specific means of representing specific aspects of the social (musical) sphere. The article introduces a general view of contemporary musical discourse, and analyses genres from the point of ‘semiosis’, ‘social agents’, ‘social relations’, ‘social context’, and ‘text’. These components of musical discourse analysis, in their various aspects and combinations, should help thoroughly examine the context of contemporary musical art, and determine linguistic features specific to different genres of musical discourse.

Ghosts, tigers and landmines in the nursery: Attachment narratives of loss in Tamil refugee children with dead or missing fathers

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 294-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lux Ratnamohan ◽  
Sarah Mares ◽  
Derrick Silove
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Political Violence ◽  
Asylum Seeker ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Refugee Children ◽  
Parent Attachment ◽  
Cultural Model ◽  
The Past ◽  
Protective Strategies

Objective: To build an account of how bereaved Tamil refugee and asylum seeker children, resettled in Australia, had processed the loss of their dead or missing fathers. Method: Phenomenological and discourse analysis was applied to attachment narratives of nine children (aged 11–17 years) and their surviving mothers in families that lost fathers in war-related circumstances. The narratives were analysed through the lens of Crittenden’s Dynamic-Maturational Model of Attachment and Adaptation (DMM) and Klass’ cross-cultural model of grief. Results: Two divergent pathways — ‘burying the past’ and ‘reifying the past’ — emerged, encompassing the children’s contrasting patterns of information processing regarding loss and trauma (dismissing or preoccupying) and representation of the past (distant-buried or rich-reconstructed). Each pathway reflected a strategic compromise between the constraints and resources presented to the child by the circumstances of the loss (ambiguous or confirmed), the response of their surviving parent (stricken or stoic) and the collective narrative surrounding the loss (silenced or valorised). Conclusion: The DMM’s conceptualisation of attachment as self-protective strategies for navigating danger was helpful in explaining the contrasting adaptations of refugee children to loss and trauma. However, to understand the multivalent meanings of these adaptations, there was a need to situate child–parent attachment relationships within the wider sociocultural reconfigurations arising from contexts of political violence.

scholarly journals Let’s talk about pain and opioids: Low pitch and creak in medical consultations

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Joseph Torres ◽  
Stephen G. Henry ◽  
Vaidehi Ramanathan
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Vocal Tract ◽  
The United States ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Linguistic Resources ◽  
Opioid Crisis ◽  
Medical Consultations ◽  
Context Specific

In recent years, the opioid crisis in the United States has sparked significant discussion on doctor–patient interactions concerning chronic pain treatments, but little to no attention has been given to investigating the vocal aspects of patient talk. This exploratory sociolinguistic study intends to fill this knowledge gap by employing prosodic discourse analysis to examine context-specific linguistic features used by the interlocutors of two distinct medical interactions. We found that patients employed both low pitch and creak as linguistic resources when describing chronic pain, narrating symptoms and requesting opioids. The situational use of both features informs us about the linguistic ways in which patients frame fraught issues like chronic pain in light of the current opioid crisis. This study expands the breadth of phonetic analysis within the domain of discourse analysis, serving to illuminate discussions surrounding the illocutionary role of the lower vocal tract in expressing emotions.

scholarly journals Comparing Supervised Machine Learning Strategies and Linguistic Features to Search for Very Negative Opinions

Information ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sattam Almatarneh ◽  
Pablo Gamallo
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Support Vector Machine ◽  
Empirical Study ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Supervised Machine Learning ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Word Embeddings ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Machine Learning Classifiers ◽  
Supervised Machine Learning Classifiers

In this paper, we examine the performance of several classifiers in the process of searching for very negative opinions. More precisely, we do an empirical study that analyzes the influence of three types of linguistic features (n-grams, word embeddings, and polarity lexicons) and their combinations when they are used to feed different supervised machine learning classifiers: Naive Bayes (NB), Decision Tree (DT), and Support Vector Machine (SVM). The experiments we have carried out show that SVM clearly outperforms NB and DT in all datasets by taking into account all features individually as well as their combinations.

Knowledge Geometry

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (04) ◽  
pp. 1550028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flávio Luis de Mello ◽  
Roberto Lins de Carvalho
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Knowledge Acquisition ◽  
Information Management ◽  
Spatial Representation ◽  
Geometric Approach ◽  
Alternative Theory ◽  
Acquisition Process ◽  
Evaluation Systems ◽  
Processing Information

This paper aims to present what we call knowledge geometry, an alternative theory for spatial representation of features related to information processing, information management, and knowledge management. It is a unique geometric approach for representing intuition, reification, interpretation, and deduction processes, as well as their relations. We employ the concept of cultural filter and use what we call real, conceptual, and symbolic planes in order to support transformations which occur along the perception of a phenomenon. After that, we discuss the use of evaluation systems to judge concepts and also the use of semantic systems as a communication language. Finally, a framework of the knowledge acquisition process in the field of the proposed theory is offered, proving the feasibility of its automation.

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