Locating topics in text processing.
Eleni Miltsakaki · 1999
In this paper we are concerned with the location of topics in text processing and the determination of the update unit in looking up topic continuations and topic shifts. Using key elements of the Centering Model of local discourse coherence and empirical evidence from Modern Greek and Japanese we argue that the appropriate update unit for topic tracking is the sentence in its traditional sense and not the finite clause, thus providing an account for the status of the subordinate clause in the calculation of topic transitions. We bring forth an argument from English, Modern Greek (MG) and Japanese for keeping topic and information structure distinct. We briefly discuss the significance of the current work to automated essay scoring and coreference-based summarization systems. 1 Introduction This paper is concerned with the issue of identifying the location of topics in text processing. Adopting the framework of the Centering Model, we discuss the importance of defining the appropriat...