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Interpretation Process (interpretation + process)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Earth and Environmental Science	50%

Selected Abstracts

Numerical modelling of complex resistivity effects on a homogenous half-space at low frequencies

GEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING, Issue 3 2006
T. Ingeman-Nielsen
ABSTRACT The many different existing models describing the spectral behaviour of the resistivity of geological materials at low frequency, combined with the lack of available field data, render the interpretation of complex resistivity (CR) data very difficult. With a recent interest in CR-measurements for environmental applications and thanks to technological progress, the use of wide-band frequency equipment seems promising, and it is expected to shed light on the different results among the published solutions to the electromagnetic (EM) coupling problem. We review the theory of EM-coupling over a homogeneous half-space with CR-effects and study some aspects of the complex coupling function. We advocate the use of the CR-based coupling function in the interpretation process, in order to obtain a better understanding of the physical processes involved in CR-effects. Application of the model to real field data shows systematic good agreement in two simple cases, even over wide ranges of frequencies. Interpretation with a double Cole,Cole model is applied for comparison, and in spite of good fits to the data, large differences are observed in the interpreted low-frequency dispersion. We conclude that the use of a second Cole,Cole model to describe EM-coupling may corrupt the interpretation of the low-frequency dispersion, even when only the normal range of frequencies (<100 Hz) is considered, and that the use of the actual EM-coupling expression is essential when the goal is a better understanding of interaction between CR-effects and EM-coupling. [source]

Pragmatics, Modularity and Mind-reading

MIND & LANGUAGE, Issue 1-2 2002
Dan Sperber
The central problem for pragmatics is that sentence meaning vastly underdetermines speaker's meaning. The goal of pragmatics is to explain how the gap between sentence meaning and speaker's meaning is bridged. This paper defends the broadly Gricean view that pragmatic interpretation is ultimately an exercise in mind-reading, involving the inferential attribution of intentions. We argue, however, that the interpretation process does not simply consist in applying general mind-reading abilities to a particular (communicative) domain. Rather, it involves a dedicated comprehension module, with its own special principles and mechanisms. We show how such a metacommunicative module might have evolved, and what principles and mechanisms it might contain. [source]

GIS in archaeology,the interface between prospection and excavation

ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROSPECTION, Issue 3 2004
Wolfgang NeubauerArticle first published online: 12 MAY 200
Abstract Archaeological prospection and excavation have the same research objective, namely, the study of the material culture of humans. They investigate the archaeological record but are based on different physical properties and work with different resolution and instrumentation. In addition to the study of literature concerning antique discoveries and the collection and evaluation of surface finds, it is aerial archaeology and geophysical prospection that are the most suitable methods of achieving the intended goal. Aerial photographs provide the archaeologist with a large-scale overview, and digital photogrammetric evaluation provides very detailed topographic maps and orthophotographs of the archaeological structures visible on the surface. These structures appear in various forms, through contrasts in the physical properties between the structures themselves and the material that surrounds them. In geophysical prospection, the contrasts between the physical properties of the archaeological structures and the surrounding material usually can be investigated only in the near-surface or with direct ground contact. These contrasts are not directly visible, however, and must instead be measured and converted into a comprehensible visualization. The prospection methods used in the interpretation process are not significantly different from one to another. Interpretation encompasses the localization and classification of archaeological structures, the analysis of their spatial relationships, as well as the creation of models showing the main stratification at a site. Unlike excavations, through archaeological interpretation of prospection data, various accurate archaeological models of the entire site and the surrounding landscape can be made available rapidly. These models can be used for targeted excavations, so as to further condense the information and to refine the models. If all the data are made available in a geographical information system (GIS), it can be combined and further analysed by the excavator as well as by the prospector. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Trope Control: The Costs and Benefits of Metaphor Unreliability in the Description of Empirical Phenomena,

BRITISH JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2004
John Ramsay
The process of communicating and interpreting the meaning of metaphors in business writing is deeply unreliable. This stems from the structure of metaphors in which some of the characteristics of a source domain are transferred to a target domain. The precise selection of characteristics is made by the reader rather than the author of the metaphor, thus creating uncertainty of meaning. Although there are some benefits stemming from the inherent ambiguity of metaphor, the unreliability of the trope not only makes it impossible to choose between competing metaphors, but may distort our view of reality and thus lead to poor management decision-making. Moreover, the unreliability of the interpretation process is so pronounced that some authors have attempted to reject the use of metaphor entirely. However, this paper argues that although it is impossible to avoid employing metaphor, contrary to the conventional wisdom in this subject area, it is possible to improve meaning reliability. Drawing on linguistic theory to explain the recommendations, and illustrative examples from business literature and practice, the papers offers several recommendations for so doing that may be applied throughout the Business and Management field. [source]