Argument Quality Assessment
Multi-dimensional argument quality annotation based on the Wachsmuth et al. (2017) taxonomy. Rates arguments on three dimensions: Cogency (logical validity), Effectiveness (persuasive power), and Reasonableness (contribution to resolution). Used in Dagstuhl-ArgQuality and GAQCorpus datasets.
survey annotation
Configuration Fileconfig.yaml
# Argument Quality Assessment
# Based on Wachsmuth et al., 2017 taxonomy
# Paper: https://aclanthology.org/2020.coling-main.402/
#
# Three main quality dimensions:
#
# 1. COGENCY (Logic) - Is the reasoning valid?
# - Local Acceptability: Are premises believable?
# - Local Relevance: Do premises support the conclusion?
# - Local Sufficiency: Is there enough support?
#
# 2. EFFECTIVENESS (Rhetoric) - Is it persuasive?
# - Credibility: Does the author seem trustworthy?
# - Emotional Appeal: Does it engage emotions appropriately?
# - Clarity: Is the argument easy to understand?
#
# 3. REASONABLENESS (Dialectic) - Does it contribute to resolution?
# - Global Acceptability: Are claims defensible?
# - Global Relevance: Does it address the issue?
# - Global Sufficiency: Does it adequately resolve the issue?
#
# Note: Correlations with overall quality - Cogency (.84), Effectiveness (.81), Reasonableness (.86)
port: 8000
server_name: localhost
task_name: "Argument Quality Assessment"
data_files:
- sample-data.json
id_key: id
text_key: argument
context_key: topic
output_file: annotations.json
annotation_schemes:
# Overall Quality Rating
- annotation_type: radio
name: overall_quality
description: "Rate the OVERALL quality of this argument (1=very poor, 5=excellent)"
labels:
- "1 - Very Poor"
- "2 - Poor"
- "3 - Average"
- "4 - Good"
- "5 - Excellent"
keyboard_shortcuts:
"1 - Very Poor": "1"
"2 - Poor": "2"
"3 - Average": "3"
"4 - Good": "4"
"5 - Excellent": "5"
tooltips:
"1 - Very Poor": "Fails on most quality dimensions; not convincing at all"
"2 - Poor": "Significant weaknesses in logic, persuasion, or relevance"
"3 - Average": "Adequate argument with some strengths and weaknesses"
"4 - Good": "Strong argument with minor issues"
"5 - Excellent": "Highly convincing, well-reasoned, and relevant"
# Dimension 1: Cogency (Logic)
- annotation_type: radio
name: cogency
description: "COGENCY: Is the argument logically valid? Are the premises acceptable, relevant, and sufficient?"
labels:
- "1 - Not cogent"
- "2 - Slightly cogent"
- "3 - Moderately cogent"
- "4 - Quite cogent"
- "5 - Very cogent"
keyboard_shortcuts:
"1 - Not cogent": "q"
"2 - Slightly cogent": "w"
"3 - Moderately cogent": "e"
"4 - Quite cogent": "r"
"5 - Very cogent": "t"
tooltips:
"1 - Not cogent": "Premises are false, irrelevant, or completely insufficient"
"2 - Slightly cogent": "Major logical flaws; premises barely support conclusion"
"3 - Moderately cogent": "Some logical issues but reasoning is followable"
"4 - Quite cogent": "Sound reasoning with minor gaps"
"5 - Very cogent": "Excellent logic; premises clearly and fully support conclusion"
# Dimension 2: Effectiveness (Rhetoric)
- annotation_type: radio
name: effectiveness
description: "EFFECTIVENESS: Is the argument persuasive? Does it establish credibility and engage the audience?"
labels:
- "1 - Not effective"
- "2 - Slightly effective"
- "3 - Moderately effective"
- "4 - Quite effective"
- "5 - Very effective"
keyboard_shortcuts:
"1 - Not effective": "a"
"2 - Slightly effective": "s"
"3 - Moderately effective": "d"
"4 - Quite effective": "f"
"5 - Very effective": "g"
tooltips:
"1 - Not effective": "Unpersuasive; poor clarity, no credibility, inappropriate tone"
"2 - Slightly effective": "Weak persuasive appeal; hard to follow or unconvincing"
"3 - Moderately effective": "Somewhat persuasive but could be more compelling"
"4 - Quite effective": "Persuasive with good clarity and appropriate appeal"
"5 - Very effective": "Highly persuasive; clear, credible, and engaging"
# Dimension 3: Reasonableness (Dialectic)
- annotation_type: radio
name: reasonableness
description: "REASONABLENESS: Does the argument contribute to resolving the issue? Is it globally relevant and acceptable?"
labels:
- "1 - Not reasonable"
- "2 - Slightly reasonable"
- "3 - Moderately reasonable"
- "4 - Quite reasonable"
- "5 - Very reasonable"
keyboard_shortcuts:
"1 - Not reasonable": "z"
"2 - Slightly reasonable": "x"
"3 - Moderately reasonable": "c"
"4 - Quite reasonable": "v"
"5 - Very reasonable": "b"
tooltips:
"1 - Not reasonable": "Does not address the issue; claims are indefensible"
"2 - Slightly reasonable": "Tangential to the issue; weak contribution"
"3 - Moderately reasonable": "Addresses the issue but doesn't fully resolve it"
"4 - Quite reasonable": "Relevant contribution that advances the discussion"
"5 - Very reasonable": "Directly addresses and substantially resolves the issue"
# Specific quality issues (optional detailed feedback)
- annotation_type: multiselect
name: quality_issues
description: "Select any specific quality issues present in this argument"
labels:
- "Factual errors"
- "Logical fallacy"
- "Missing evidence"
- "Unclear reasoning"
- "Off-topic"
- "Ad hominem attack"
- "Emotional manipulation"
- "Overgeneralization"
- "No issues detected"
tooltips:
"Factual errors": "Contains false or unverifiable claims"
"Logical fallacy": "Contains identifiable reasoning error (e.g., straw man, false dichotomy)"
"Missing evidence": "Makes claims without supporting evidence"
"Unclear reasoning": "Hard to follow the logical flow"
"Off-topic": "Does not address the actual topic/question"
"Ad hominem attack": "Attacks person rather than argument"
"Emotional manipulation": "Uses fear, anger, or other emotions inappropriately"
"Overgeneralization": "Makes sweeping claims from limited evidence"
"No issues detected": "No significant quality issues identified"
allow_all_users: true
instances_per_annotator: 100
annotation_per_instance: 3
allow_skip: true
skip_reason_required: false
Sample Datasample-data.json
[
{
"id": "arg_001",
"topic": "Should college education be free for all students?",
"argument": "College education should be free because education is a right, not a privilege. Countries like Germany and Norway offer free university education and have thriving economies. Making college free would reduce student debt, increase social mobility, and create a more educated workforce that benefits everyone."
},
{
"id": "arg_002",
"topic": "Should college education be free for all students?",
"argument": "Free college is a terrible idea. Nothing in life is free - someone has to pay for it. Why should hardworking taxpayers subsidize people who want to study useless degrees? These students are just lazy and want handouts."
}
]
// ... and 8 more itemsGet This Design
Clone or download from the repository
Quick start:
git clone https://github.com/davidjurgens/potato-showcase.git cd potato-showcase/argument-quality potato start config.yaml
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