Thumbnails taken from Players' argument mapping approaches

Welcome to GlobalArgument.net

GlobalArgument.net is an experiment to evaluate the potential of Computer-Supported Argumentation: both the technologies, and the 'craft skill' of using them effectively.

Our objectives are to:

• investigate how complex debates of topical interest can be more effectively communicated, navigated and analysed

• advance the state of the art in practical argumentation support tools

• evaluate the software tools analytically and empirically

• help define the research agenda for computer-supported dialogue, deliberation, negotiation and argumentation

Players participate in Argumentation Experiments, working to a schedule and from common document sources. Through systematic comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of approaches, we aim to clarify how approaches can be improved.

We hope this will interest researchers and practitioners working on:

• Computer-Supported Argumentation and Discourse

• Critical thinking in personal deliberation and effective public engagement in ethical, political, scientific and other policy debates, from school age upwards

• Related disciplines including Information Design, Human-Computer Interaction, e-Democracy, Argumentation Theory and Critical Thinking

• Subject matter experts in the debates selected for analysis

If you find this an intriguing idea, we invite you to join in the next experiment.