Kai Larsen - Jimmy Lin - Chaomei Chen - Round Table - Chun Wei Choo
Kai Larsen (University of Colorado)
“Manifest Validity: Detecting Latent Semantic Inflation of Scale Relationships”
Monday, 12 February (12-1:30p.m.)
Abstract: This study develops manifest validity - a measure of what is clearlyapparent to those sharing a language. Manifest validity will measure a threat to questionnaire scale validity not before measurable. This threat - respondents who instinctively react to the questionnaire based not on their knowledge or their attitudes but rather based on the similarity of words across questionnaire items - is in our pre-study found to have a major effect on correlations between questionnaire statements. If, as we believe, fully half of the results of behavioral questionnaire studies can be predicted based on language use in questionnaires - a quantum leap in understanding of human behavior may be made by separating language effects from attitude, knowledge, and other effects. By using Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) - a mathematical technique and theory of language use - we are able to tease out the variance that is due to language effects. In fact, using LSA to predict the correlation tables of five studies, the predicted variance reached as high as an R2 of .63. In no case was the predictive variance lower than .20, variance that is likely to be boosted in future work. This work also moves LSA forward by disproving the conventional wisdom that LSA does not work well on small texts. LSA is here found to work on questionnaire items, probably because of their careful construction and focus on topics of importance. It is also shown that LSA - which has generally been used in relation to individuals - may in fact perform better when used to predict the average responses of groups. Poster
Jimmy Lin (University of Maryland)
"BEYOND 'BAG OF WORDS': TOWARDS A FRAMEWORK FOR CONCEPTUAL RETRIEVAL"
Thursday, 22 February (3:30-5 p.m.)
Abstract: Although the field of information retrieval has made enormous progress
in the last half century, virtually all systems are still built on the
remarkably simple concept of ``counting words'', under strong
assumptions of term independence. Although these methods have
beenempirically validated (e.g., in TREC evaluations), it is a simple
fact that words alone cannot capture the semantic content of documents
and information needs.
In this talk, I will discuss a framework for ``conceptual retrieval''
that articulates the types of knowledge that are important for
information seeking. This general framework is instantiated in a
clinical question answering system that operationalizes the principles
of evidence-based medicine (EBM). Experiments show that an EBM-based
scoring algorithm outperforms a state-of-the-art baseline that employs
only term statistics. Ablation studies further yield a better
understanding of the performance contributions of different
components.
I will conclude by discussing how other domains can benefit from
knowledge-based approaches and the general applicability of this
proposed framework.
Chaomei Chen (Drexel University)
“Conflicting Opinions and Creative Ideas”
Thursday, 1 March (3:30-5 p.m.)
Abstract: We often need to make sense of conflicting opinions in an evolving context. Conflicting opinions appear, evolve, and spread in various areas of intellectual work and everyday life. In science, paradigm shifts, scientific breakthroughs, conceptual revolutions, and scientific debates are all related to understanding and differentiating conflicting theories, evidence, and interpretations. In political, cultural, ideological contexts, one also needs to single out facts, speculations, emotions, and the salient lines of arguments and available evidence. In this talk, I will give a series of examples to illustrate various aspects of differentiating a large volume of conflicting opinions and outline a framework for understanding the dynamics of conflicting opinions and creative ideas. Poster
Round Table
“Disciplinarity and Interdisciplinarity at SCILS: The Battle of the Ancients and the Moderns Revisited (at SCILS)”
Panelists: Nick Belkin (LIS) Jack Bratich (JMS) Jennifer Gibbs (COMM) Hartmut Mokros (COMM) Nina Wacholder (LIS); Moderated by Marija Dalbello (LIS) Poster
Monday, 5 March (12-1:30 p.m.)
Chun Wei Choo (University of Toronto)
“The Knowing Organization”
Tuesday, 27 March (3:30-5 p.m.)
Abstract: Organizations use information in three arenas. They use information to construct interpretations and meanings that form a shared context for action and reflection. They develop new knowledge and new capabilities in order to solve tough problems and pursue opportunities. They act on possibilities and aspirations by making decisions - decisions that commit resources and capabilities to courses of action. It is the interplay between sensemaking, knowledge creation, and decision making that enables an organization to learn and grow. Poster
