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ELSNET's Focus 2000-2002
ELSNET's six-dimensional space
ELSNET's own decomposition of the universe is not based on a
traditional taxonomy of the field (as we are trying to build up
above), but rather on a taxonomy of the general support
activities one could undertake in order to facilitate research
and development at large. The following six dimensions define the space
in which ELSNET operates:
- Transfer of knowledge and expertise
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This comprises a variety of flows of knowledge and expertise,
e.g. between academia and industry (in both directions),
between languages (porting technologies from one language to
another), across disciplines, or from developers to
deployers. This dimension forms the basis of our training,
dissemination and referral services.
- Shared goals
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In order to create contexts for joint efforts to face major
challenges, ELSNET will produce road maps for various
sub-fields of HLT, which will help establishing common goals
and priorities.
- Evaluation
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In order for researchers and developers to be able to monitor
their own progress, also in comparison with others using
different methods, it is important that there are facilities
to support this. ELSNET will offer a platform for discussion
and further dissemination of evaluation expertise and
experience on both sides of the Atlantic.
- Shared language resources
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Language resources are essential, both to support research
and development, and to support evaluation. As new types of
application areas emerge (e.g. multimodal applications), new
types of resources will be needed. ELSNET will actively
explore the desirability and feasibility of possible new
types of resources required by new applications, in close
concertation with other bodies involved in the production and
distribution of language resources.
- Promotion of best practice
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For any potential technology integrator or deployer, it is
important to have immediate access to what counts as best
practice. Progress (both from the technologist's and from the
user's point of view) is hampered when every developer,
integrator or deployer has to rediscover which technologies
can be safely used for his purposes. ELSNET aims at becoming
a repository for best practices in the field.
- Interoperability by means of standardisation
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One important condition for being able to join forces within
a community is the existence and usage of proper standards,
ensuring at least interoperability between systems, data and
components. ELSNET will actively engage in the promotion of
emerging and de facto standards.
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