This paper describes a method of processing unknown words in a HPSGbased dialogue system, with acquisition of lexical semantics via clarification questions answered by the user. Use of a highly contextualized semantic representation, together with an utterance-anaphoric view of clarification, allows the clarificational dialogue to be integrated within the grammar and governed by standard rules ...

Enabling respondents to obtain clarification about the intended meaning of survey questions can dramatically improve response accuracy. However, respondents often do not recognize that their conceptions of terms in a question can differ from the question author's conception. As a result they do not request clarification on many occasions when it could improve their understanding and, thus, the ...