Key objectives

The research carried out by the LANCAR group comprises five interrelated research lines:

Empirical research

The research line on Cognitive Neuroscience of Persuasion is aimed at empirically testing the cognitive adequacy of rhetorical insights regarding the design of persuasive discourse.

The research line on Annotating Argumentation in the Wild focuses on identifying argumentative moves in persuasive communication to create annotated datasets for argumentation research purposes. These datasets are subjected to various types of linguistic analysis and modeling.

Practical research

The results of the empirical research lines are combined with theoretical insights about argument detection and mapping, argument type identification, and argumentation assessment to develop a reliable and transparent procedure for Argument-Checking, an extension of fact-checking.

Theoretical research

The research line on Adpositional Rhetoric (AdRhet) aims to provide a robust formalization of linguistic and pragmatic aspects of persuasive discourse in terms of a constructivist representation framework.

Research into the Philosophy of Argument is aimed at providing historically and empirically informed accounts of the various theoretical concepts relevant to the study of argumentation.

Impact

To generate societal impact of scientific insights on persuasive communication, the LANCAR group collaborates with several valorization partners. Their joint initiatives range from delivering guest lectures on argument-checking for a broader audience to developing argumentation technology that can help people identifying and evaluating argumentative discourse.

Events

Please consult the news page on the LANCAR website for the latest info on research seminars and feedback sessions for students.

Coordinator and group members

Monique Flecken 
Federico Gobbo 
Michal Korenar 
Viktorija Kostadinova
José Plug
Menno Reijven  
Bertus van Rooy 
Erik Vellinga (PhD student) 
Jean Wagemans (coordinator)

For an overview of all LANCAR members, research affiliates, valorization partners, and alumni, please see www.lancar.org/people.

Website of the group

For more information, please visit the LANCAR website.

Visual presentation of LANCAR