E-encyclopedia of Discourse Structures (EDS)

[Lutfi Hussein]

This is an excellent idea. Being a graduate student of discourse studies, I
would appreciate such a promising resource.

Thanks,
Lutfi


-----Original Message-----
From: Teun A. van Dijk <teun at HUM.UVA.NL>
To: DISCOURS at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG <DISCOURS at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG>
Date: Thursday, February 10, 2000 7:45 AM
Subject: E-encyclopedia of Discourse Structures (EDS)


>I am thinking of organizing an electronic Encyclopedia of Discourse
>Structures (EDS). This message is asking your opinion about this
>project.
>
>This EDS would feature small essays of about 1000 words each about a
>possibly large number (say between 500 and 1000) of structural and other
>properties of text or talk, at all possible levels of description. Each
>item would consist of a brief theoretical part, an illustration on one
>or more examples, a very selective bibliography, and a number of
>internet links to a full bibliography, lists, specialized scholars in
>that area, or any other information on that particular item. Items may
>be quite general (e.g., about intonation, discourse syntax, pronouns,
>coherence, metaphor, speech acts, politeness, turntaking, power,
>ideology, or mental models, etc) as well as more detailed (questions,
>generalizations, conversation opening, agreement, news report schemas,
>etc.).
>
>Each item should ideally be written by one of THE specialists (if any)
>on a particular structure, who will also be responsable for the
>continuous update of an item (new theory, new bibliography, new internet
>links). If very different theoretical views exist on the account of a
>very important structure, I see no reason not to accept two or even
>three items on the "same" structure, but in general items should be as
>'general' and as little 'partisan' as possible.
>
>The aim of the encyclopedia is especially practical and pedagogical: You
>briefly want to know what is now known about structure X or want to have
>some references on discourse strategy Y. Such information is also very
>relevant for students and other newcomers to the field who want some
>first information on some item. Finally, the encyclopedia may be useful
>as a general "checklist", when you want to set up a research project on
>a specific genre or corpus or want to analyze empirical data, wondering
>which structures might most relevantly be studied.
>
>New items will be reviewed by a panel of specialized discourse analysts,
>who may ask reviews and comments from other specialists. Each large area
>of the encyclopedia would have its own editor who maintains contact with
>the specialists on specific items.
>
>Access to the encyclopedia is free and contributions are nly voluntary.
>
>Probably the most practical format to organize the accessibility of the
>encyclopedia is to set up a special web-page for it. We may ask a
>university dept. with a strong presence in discourse analysis and some
>resources to host the web-site.
>
>My request to the subscribers to this list is to let me (or the whole
>list) know whether
>- they think this is a good idea,
>- what would make the idea even better,
>- they have other suggestions or critique,
>- they are a specialist on some specific structure,
>- ..and whether they in principle would like to write an item for the
>encyclopedia.
>
>Best wishes
>
>Teun
>
>--
>
>Teun A. van Dijk
>Program of Discourse Studies
>University of Amsterdam
>
>In 2000:
>
>Universitat Pompeu Fabra
>Institut Universitari de Linguistica Aplicada (IULA)
>Rambla 30-32
>08002 Barcelona (Espana)
>
>Phone: (0034) 93-272.1200 (casa/home)
>FAX:   (0034) 93-272.0106 (casa/home)
>
>E-mail: teun at hum.uva.nl
>Web-site: http://www.hum.uva.nl/teun
>