RefNet: An Interdisciplinay Network Focusing on Reference

RefNet: An Interdisciplinay Network Focusing on Reference

RefNet is an EPSRC research network advancing collaboration between research communities that have tended to work separately, namely computer scientists, linguists and psychologists. The phenomeon on which the network focusses is reference.

Reference is the process of making sure that a user/receiver can identify an entity - for example a person, thing, place, or an event. Reference can be considered the "anchor" of communication. As such it is crucial for communication between people, and for many practical applications: from robotics and gaming to embodied agents, satellite navigation, and multimodal interfaces. Through the study of reference, RefNet will build a base of interdisciplinary skills and resources for research on communication.

 

Project Homepage: RefNet

Contact: Kees van Deemter

 

RefNet's objectives are:

  1. To promote high-quality interdisciplinary research, and research resources relating to reference, particularly involving computational linguistics and psycholinguistics.
  2. To find ways to improve practical applications in which reference plays a role.
  3. To build skills for the interdisciplinary study of language and communication.

To do this, RefNet organizes activities whose goals are networking, skywriting, consultation, training, and showcasing of research.