The EPICA research group is composed of 10 members coming from 4 research units, belonging to 3 universities and the National Research Council. Additionally, 4 research grants will be funded by the project. All the universities are nodes of the CINI Artificial and Intelligent Systems Labs and have already collaborated with complementary expertises.
The project will be articulated in 6 Work Packages (WPs). Each unit will lead at least one WP and will work in strict cooperation on all WPs. Details on the competences and the roles of the units follows
The researchers of this unit belong to the department of Information Engineering of the University of Brescia, one of the “Departments of Excellence” recognized by MIUR. The unit has expertise in the areas of formal models for argumentation, human-computer interaction, and machine learning. Members of the team will coordinate the entire project (WP0) and will lead WP1. They will also collaborate mainly with WP2 and WP4 on analyzing real PIC contexts through formal models and defining new models suitable for these contexts.
The UniCal unit has deep expertise on uncertainty in argumentation and query languages for uncertain data. The unit will lead WP2 and participate in the other WPs, with strict interaction with WP3. In particular, UniCal will work on defining new argumentative models and reasoning problems over them, which will enable users to reason about the properties of interest in the PIC context. In addition, the group will work on the characterization of the computational complexity for the identified reasoning problems and the development of efficient evaluation algorithms.
The UniPG unit is composed of researchers from the Knowledge Representation and Automated Reasoning Lab (member of the CLAIRE network). The group has expertise in constraint programming, argumentation, trust and reputation. The group developed the argumentation solver ConArg, which will be the starting point of the concurrent language contributing to WP4. UniPG will lead the development of algorithms and validation tools in WP4 and will collaborate with WP1 and WP2, in particular investigating languages and tools to represent the dynamic interaction of argumentative agents. Finally UniPG will lead WP5: it will be responsible for the project web site and coordinate the communication and dissemination activities.
The group includes researchers from the Institute for Computational Linguistics (ILC) with expertise on formal argumentation, text mining, knowledge extraction, lexical semantics and emotional/data/model analysis. Of further relevance for the project, scholars involved have applied abstract argumentation and epistemic logics to the study of social dynamics such as opinion polarization and informational cascades. The group will lead WP3, the main interaction being planned with WP2, and use its expertise for the analysis of real argumentative contexts starting from data and for the analysis of phenomena from a social and linguistic point of view.
EPICA is structured in 6 Work Packages (WPs) as detailed in Figure 1 which shows their main interactions and leader units.
Fig. 1 Main Interactions and Leaders of the WPs.
WPs from WP1 to WP5 correspond to the main activities described in section B1.2, while WP0 consists of the coordination activity. Each WP will produce, besides scientific publications, some specific deliverables related to its objectives. Due to their general nature WP0 and WP5 will last for the entire duration of the project, while as to the other WPs we envisage the time plan shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 Gantt chart of the project.
WPs from WP1 to WP4 will be developed in sequence with significant overlaps so as to allow the constant feedback from later phases to previous ones required by the basic research and high-risk nature of the project.
A detailed description of each WP follows.
Leader: UniBS
Person-months per participant: UniBS=2, UniCal=1, UniPG=1, CNR=1 - Total: 5
Start month: 1, duration 24 months
Objectives: We will ensure seamless cooperation across the various units using a fluid non- hierarchical approach. The main objective of WP0 is to facilitate units to achieve their goals, with minimal overhead. We will make use of a regular quarterly virtual meeting schedule to ensure constant interaction on the progress of the project and for detailed discussions on specific issues. Conditions permitting, the kick-off meeting and annual meetings will be held in presence for broader interactions and wider exchanges among the units on the results achieved and the organization of next activities.
Deliverables:
Leader: UniBS
Person-months per participant: UniBS=6 UniCal=4, UniPG=2, CNR=2 - Total: 14
Start month: 1, duration 9 months
Objectives: WP1 will draw a comprehensive conceptual analysis to identify elements of institutional PIC activities that can benefit from advanced CA techniques. This will lead to define requirements for the formalization of advanced argumentation models and to identify significant examples of use cases. Results of this WP will be used in WP2 and WP3. The WP will benefit from the contribution of professional stakeholders through focused co-production workshops.
Deliverables:
Leader: UniCal
Person-months per participant: UniBS=3, UniCal=7, UniPG=2, CNR=3 - Total: 15
Start month: 7, duration 9 months
Objectives: We will propose new formal models with attributes taking in account the properties of interest in the PIC in a dynamic context. These models will be supported by the associated case analysis (WP3). Particular attention will be devoted to the management of dynamic interactions in PICs. This WP will use results from the conceptual analysis and requirements definition of WP1.
Deliverables:
Leader: CNR
Person-months per participant: UniBS=3, UniCal=4, UniPG=2, CNR=7 - Total: 16
Start month: 10, duration 9 months
Objectives: We will develop an enriched scheme of annotation of textual data from PICs, highlighting relevant features used in the formal analysis as they emerge from WP2. The properties of interest identified and formalized in WP2 will be integrated in the analysis of PIC cases. State-of-art methodologies for automatic annotation of argumentative units will be adapted for data from use cases. The activity is strictly connected with WP2, will benefit from the analysis of WP1 and will produce results used in WP4.
Deliverables:
Leader: UniPG
Person-months per participant: UniBS=2, UniCal=4, UniPG=7, CNR=3 - Total: 16
Start month: 16, duration 9 months
Objectives: Based on the results of WP2 and WP3 we will define and implement reasoning algorithms based on the proposed models and develop validation tools for presenting the proposed approach to a selected set of users. As far as possible we will reuse and adapt state-of the-art solvers for algorithm implementation and existing tools from areas like argument visualization and argument mining for developing proof-of-concept tools to be used in user validation activities.
Deliverables:
Leader: UniPG
Person-months per participant: UniBS=1, UniCal=1, UniPG=3, CNR=1 Total: 6
Start month: 1, duration 24 months
Objectives: We will communicate the activities and results of the project using a variety of channels, such as the project web site, social media and press releases. Dissemination will be directed both to experts and to the public with events connected to the project meetings. An open exploitation-oriented event for identifying project follow-ups will also be organized.
Deliverables:
