walker@FLASH.BELLCORE.COM (Donald E Walker) (06/02/89)
DICTIONARIES IN THE ELECTRONIC AGE Fifth Annual Conference of the University of Waterloo Centre for the New OED Jointly presented by Oxford University Press Oxford University Computing Service University of Waterloo St. Catherine's College, Oxford, England -- 18-19 September 1989 (For associated workshops on Dictionary Assessment and Criticism and on Developing Lexical Resources, see below.) "The complete Oxford English Dictionary ... likely to be very manageable indeed when compressed into the electronic microstructure of a chip." - Christopher Evans, "The Mighty Micro", 1979 Once it had become clear that computers could be used in the composition, analysis, and transmission of written texts, it was a natural step to try to yoke them together with dictionaries, the most complex of texts both to compile and to analyse. Pioneering early efforts were made during the 1950s and 1960s, when storage was limited and data entry was by punched card. The first dictionaries actually compiled in the form of a computer database appeared in the late 1970s. By this time professional analysts of language such as linguists and computer scientists had begun to realize that the dictionary was a ready-made mine of language. If it could be electronically analysed they would be freed from much of the labour of collecting or introspecting linguistic patterns. During the 1980s a fruitful symbiosis has grown up between lexicography, computing, and linguistics. Increasingly, dictionaries are designed as computer databases and compiled with the assistance of textual corpora. The lexicographer's desk has been reinterpreted as a multi- functional workstation. Linguists are exploiting the full resources of machine-readable dictionaries in order to build comprehensive models of linguistic data. Computer scientists are able to take over the information network built into the dictionary as a kind of ready-made expert system. In 1984 the "Oxford English Dictionary" became the first large dictionary to be converted from printed format into a machine-readable database. In March this year the second edition of the OED was published, the offspring of a successful marriage of lexicography and computer technology. To mark this achievement this Fifth Annual Conference is being held at Oxford rather than at Waterloo. The publication of the new edition of the OED, together with the development, at the University of Waterloo Centre for the New OED, of programs for the rapid searching of large textual databases like the OED, and the appearance of a CD-ROM version of the first edition of the OED, are pointers towards the fulfilment of Evans's prediction. CONFERENCE PROGRAMME Sunday, 17 September 2.00-6.00 p.m. Registration, Porter's Lodge 6.00 p.m. Registration and Reception, Junior Common Room 7.00 p.m. Dinner, Dining Hall Monday, 18 September 8.30 a.m. Registration SESSION I Developing Lexical Resources Donald E. Walker, Bellcore Editing the OED in the Electronic Age Edmund S.C. Weiner, Oxford University Press Demonstration: Lexicographical Workstations Nicoletta Calzolari and Eugenio Picchi, Istituto di Linguistica Computazionale SESSION II La Constitution de la documentation du Tresor de la langue francaise: problemes et methodes Gerard Gorcy, Institut National de la Langue Francaise The Corpus of the Dictionary of Old English: Its Delimitation, Compilation and Application Ashley Crandell Amos, University of Toronto 7.00 p.m. Banquet, Dining Hall Guest speaker: Sir Randolph Quirk, University College London Tuesday, 19 September SESSION III The Concrete Lexicon and the Abstract Dictionary Martin Kay, Xerox PARC Lexicons for Computer Programs and Lexicons for People Sergei Nirenburg, Carnegie-Mellon University SESSION IV Discovering Relationships Among Word Senses Roy J. Byrd, IBM Research Center What is Text? Frank W. Tompa, University of Waterloo SESSION V Panel Discussion: Present and Future Challenges Panelists: Gaston H. Gonnet (Introducer), University of Waterloo Beryl T.S. Atkins, Oxford University Press Reinhard R.K. Hartmann, University of Exeter Michael E. Lesk, Bellcore Conference Chairman: Timothy J. Benbow, Oxford University Press Nominating Committee Chairman: Gaston H. Gonnet, University of Waterloo CONFERENCE ARRANGEMENTS: All Conference activities will take place at St Catherine's College, Oxford, with the main sessions taking place in the Bernard Sunley Building. ACCOMMODATION: Conference and workshop accommodation will be arranged in single study-bedrooms in St Catherine's College, Oxford. Most of these bedrooms have wash-basins, and there are washing and shower facilities on each floor. Soap, linen, and hand- towels are provided. TRANSPORT: There is a frequent coach service to Oxford from both Gatwick and Heathrow airports, and many trains (Paddington station) and coaches (Victoria coach station) from London. Timetables will be forwarded with the Conference information package to those who register. CONFERENCE FEES (in pound sterling): Basic fees cover all conference sessions, one copy of the conference proceedings, the reception, two lunches (Mon. and Tues.), two dinners (Sun. and Tues.), mid-session refreshments, and the banquet on Monday evening. Resident fees include the basic fees plus Sunday, Monday and Tuesday night bed and breakfast at St Catherine's College. All optional fees (see below) are additional to the conference fees. Registration must be received by 31 August 1989. If space permits, late registration will be available at an additional cost of L20.00. All fees must be paid in pounds sterling. Please make cheques payable to Oxford University Press. Access, Visa, and Barclaycard (MasterCard) credit cards will be accepted. The conference information package will be forwarded upon receipt of registration. Basic fees: Academic L149.50 Non-academic L287.50 Resident fees: Academic L207.00 Non-academic L345.00 There will be a late registration fee (after 31 August) of L20.00. Note: All charges include 15 per cent UK Value Added Tax where applicable. Additional conference proceedings will be available at L10.00 per copy. ASSOCIATED WORKSHOPS Both workshops will be held at St Catherine's College, Oxford. DICTIONARY ASSESSMENT AND CRITICISM Sunday, 17 September 1989: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Organized by EURALEX Participants at the 1988 biennial EURALEX General Meeting in Budapest will recall requests for a more practical and explicitly lexicographical orientation to the Association's activities. Thus, this workshop has been organized to: 1. provide an introduction to the topic and to allow participants to work in small groups at an assessment of one dictionary and/or a comparison of two or more works, and 2. make suggestions for the structure and contents of the section on Dictionary Assessment and Criticism at the next EURALEX International Congress, in Malaga, August 28- September 2, 1990. The workshop should prove of interest to lexicographers, publishers, language teachers, linguists, researchers, reviewers and anyone else who uses dictionaries: in fact, to all types of dictionary producers and consumers. Euralex Workshop Fee: Member L22.00 Non-member L25.00 Includes lunch and refreshment breaks. DEVELOPING LEXICAL RESOURCES Wednesday, 20 September 1989, 9.30 a.m.-4 p.m. Organized by the Association for Computational Linguistics and Bellcore We need to resolve the conflicts of interest that appear to exist among publishers, software developers, and the research community. The research community needs resources to do its work. The publishers have source materials but are concerned with protecting their intellectual property rights. The software developers are trying simultaneously to create tools and a market in which to use them. This open meeting will present the perspectives of these protagonists and attempt to work out strategies for resolving the perceived conflicts in ways that will be beneficial to all parties. There is no fee for this Workshop. However, please respond on the Conference registration form if you plan to attend, or contact Don Walker at the address below. INFORMATION For further information about the Conference and the EURALEX Workshop, contact either Katherine Manville (ext. 4533) or Sandra Johnston (ext. 4530) at: Dictionary Department Oxford University Press Walton Street Oxford OX2 6DP England Telephone: (0865) 56767 International: + 44 865 56767 Internet: oup@watsol.waterloo.edu For information about the Workshop on Developing Lexical Resources, contact: Dr. Donald E. Walker (Oxford) Bellcore, MRE 2A379 445 South Street, Box 1910 Morristown, NJ 07960-1910, USA telephone: (+1 201) 829-4312 fax: (+1 201) 292-0067 internet: walker@flash.bellcore.com usenet: uunet.uu.net!bellcore!walker