Computer-based method and system of analyzing, editing and improving content

Abstract

A method for providing proposition-based content for review within a collaborative environment includes representing a set of propositional content available for an argument within a user interface provided via one or more client systems as a plurality of statement elements that are each one of a plurality of statement types that include premise, warrant, and claim, constructing a logical argument object for the argument based on input defining the argument to include one or more premises.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for providing proposition-based content for review within a collaborative environment, the system comprising:
 a collaborative environment application executing within a distributed processing system and accessible to a plurality of users within a user interface provided through one or more clients systems communicatively connected to a network, the collaborative environment application configured to represent a set of propositional content available for a first argument as a plurality of statement elements within the user interface, each of the statement elements being one of a plurality of statement types including premise, warrant, and claim, each of the plurality of statement elements being represented within the user interface based on a corresponding statement data object for the statement element that is maintained within the distributed processing system;   an argument constructor module implemented within the collaborative environment application that constructs a logical argument object for the first argument based on a first set of input defining the first argument according to a specified argument type to include one or more premises and one or more warrants of the statement elements, a first claim of the statement elements, and a plurality of interconnections defining logical relations between the one or more premises, the one or more warrants, and the first claim according to respective logical rules for the one or more warrants; and   an argument representation module implemented within the collaborative environment application that generates a structured argument model representation of the logical argument object for the first argument within the user interface that includes an indication of each of the one or more premises, the one or more warrants, the first claim, and the interconnections between the one or more premises, the one or more warrants, and the first claim, and wherein the corresponding statement data object for each of the plurality of statement elements and the logical argument object for the first argument are maintained as persistent objects by the collaborative environment application to allow the plurality of users to simultaneously and continuously perceive and interact with the corresponding statement data object for each of the plurality of statement elements and the logical argument object for the first argument through interface elements provided in conjunction with representations of the statement elements and the structured argument model representation within the user interface.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the corresponding statement data object for each statement element includes a plurality of data fields including a statement type field holding data indicating the statement type of the statement element, a proposition field holding data indicating an underlying proposition represented by the statement element, and an associated state field holding data indicating a respective associated state of the statement element, wherein the respective associated state of each statement element is a value associated with the underlying proposition represented by the statement element, wherein the respective associated state of the first claim in the first argument is dependent upon the respective associated states of the one or more premises and the one or more warrants and the logical relations defined by the interconnections of the first argument, and wherein the structured argument model representation of the logical argument object for the first argument within the user interface includes an indication of the respective associated state of each of the one or more premises, the one or more warrants, and the first claim. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising an argument arbiter module implemented within the collaborative environment application that automatically analyzes the logical argument object for the first argument to determine the respective associated state of the first claim based on the respective associated states of the one or more premises and the one or more warrants and the logical relations defined by the interconnections in the first argument. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the respective associated state of each statement element is a value associated with the underlying proposition represented by the statement element and the respective associated state of the first claim in the first argument is dependent upon the respective associated states of the one or more premises and the one or more warrants and the logical relations defined by the interconnections of the first argument. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the structured argument model representation of the logical argument object for the first argument within the user interface comprises an indication of the respective associated state of each of the one or more premises, the one or more warrants, and the first claim. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the argument constructor module further comprises a natural language processor configured to identify the specified argument type based on a first set of input associated with the first argument and identify one or more of the one or more premises, the one or more warrants of the statement elements, the first claim of the statement elements, or the plurality of interconnections based on the specified argument type and the first of input. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising an ontology data store including one or more argument type models, wherein the natural language processor is configured to access an argument type model of the ontology data store, and wherein the natural language processor identifies the one or more of the one or more premises, the one or more warrants of the statement elements, the first claim of the statement elements, or the plurality of the interconnections based on the accessed argument type model. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an input module configured to receive an indication of the specified argument type from one of the plurality of users through the user interface, wherein the argument constructor module is further configured to construct the logical argument object for the first argument defined according to an argument type model retrieved according to the indication. 
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium, having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor to perform a method for providing proposition-based content for review within a collaborative environment, the method comprising:
 executing a collaborative environment application accessible to a plurality of users, the collaborative environment application being executed to represent a set of propositional content available for a first argument as a plurality of statement elements within the user interface, each of the statement elements being one of a plurality of statement types including premise, warrant, and claim, each of the plurality of statement elements being represented within the user interface based on a corresponding statement data object for the statement element that is maintained within the distributed processing system;   executing an argument constructor module within the collaborative environment application, the argument constructor module being executed to construct a logical argument object for the first argument based on a first set of input defining the first argument according to a specified argument type to include one or more premises and one or more warrants of the statement elements, a first claim of the statement elements, and a plurality of interconnections defining logical relations between the one or more premises, the one or more warrants, and the first claim according to respective logical rules for the one or more warrants; and   executing an argument representation module within the collaborative environment application, the argument representation module being executed to generate a structured argument model representation of the logical argument object for the first argument within the user interface that includes an indication of each of the one or more premises, the one or more warrants, the first claim, and the interconnections between the one or more premises, the one or more warrants, and the first claim, and wherein the corresponding statement data object for each of the plurality of statement elements and the logical argument object for the first argument are maintained as persistent objects by the collaborative environment application to allow the plurality of users to simultaneously and continuously perceive and interact with the corresponding statement data object for each of the plurality of statement elements and the logical argument object for the first argument through interface elements provided in conjunction with representations of the statement elements and the structured argument model representation within the user interface.   
     
     
         10 . A computer apparatus comprising:
 a processor that executes computer-readable instructions stored in memory, wherein the processor executes the computer-readable instructions to perform a method for providing proposition-based content for review within a collaborative environment, the method comprising:
 representing a set of propositional content available for a first argument as a plurality of statement elements within a user interface provided to one or more users via one or more client systems, each of the statement elements being one of a plurality of statement types including premise, warrant, and claim, each of the statement elements having a respective associated state; 
 constructing a logical argument object for the first argument based on a first set of input defining the first argument according to a specified argument type to include one or more premises and one or more warrants of the statement elements, a first claim of the statement elements, and a plurality of interconnections defining logical relations between the one or more premises, the one or more warrants, and the first claim according to respective logical rules for the one or more warrants such that the respective associated state of the first claim is dependent upon the respective associated states of the one or more premises and the one or more warrants and the logical relations defined by the interconnections of the first argument; 
 automatically analyzing the logical argument object for the first argument to determine the respective associated state of the first claim based on the respective associated states of the one or more premises and the one or more warrants and the logical relations defined by the interconnections in the first argument; and 
 generating a structured argument model representation of the logical argument object for the first argument within the user interface that includes an indication of each of the one or more premises, the one or more warrants, the first claim, the interconnections between the one or more premises, the one or more warrants, and the first claim, and the respective associated state of each of the one or more premises, the one or more warrants, and the first claim. 
   
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium, having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor to perform a method for providing proposition-based content for review within a collaborative environment, the method comprising:
 representing a set of propositional content available for a first argument as a plurality of statement elements within a user interface provided to one or more users via one or more client systems, each of the statement elements being one of a plurality of statement types including premise, warrant, and claim, each of the statement elements having a respective associated state;   constructing a logical argument object for the first argument based on a first set of input defining the first argument according to a specified argument type to include one or more premises and one or more warrants of the statement elements, a first claim of the statement elements, and a plurality of interconnections defining logical relations between the one or more premises, the one or more warrants, and the first claim according to respective logical rules for the one or more warrants such that the respective associated state of the first claim is dependent upon the respective associated states of the one or more premises and the one or more warrants and the logical relations defined by the interconnections of the first argument;   automatically analyzing the logical argument object for the first argument to determine the respective associated state of the first claim based on the respective associated states of the one or more premises and the one or more warrants and the logical relations defined by the interconnections in the first argument; and   generating a structured argument model representation of the logical argument object for the first argument within the user interface that includes an indication of each of the one or more premises, the one or more warrants, the first claim, the interconnections between the one or more premises, the one or more warrants, and the first claim, and the respective associated state of each of the one or more premises, the one or more warrants, and the first claim.