Constraints on Layout in Multimodal Document Generation

John Bateman University of Bremen

Judy Delin University of Stirling

Patrick Allen University of Bradford Overview

Background to the Project

Levels of Representation for Generation

Rhetorical Structure in Document Generation

Rhetoric Meets Practicality

Conclusions and Further Research Background to the Project

GeM: Genre and Multimodality

Genre model of illustrated document types

Close work with designers and layout professionals

Practical constraints on design tasks

Aimed at multimodal NLG Levels of Representation

Content Structure the structure of the information to be communicated

Rhetorical Structure the rhetorical relationships between content elements, the ‘argument’

Navigation Structure the ways in which the intended mode(s) of consumption of the document is/are supported

Layout Structure the nature, appearance and position of elements on the page Genre is constituted in...

The necessity to satisfy goals at these levels, and to address constraints:

Canvas constraints arising out of the physical nature of the object

Production constraints arising out of the production technology

Consumption constraints arising out of the way in which the object is mediated/consumed Rhetorical Structure in Document Generation

The necessity to satisfy goals at these levels, and to address sources of constraint:

Canvas constraints arising out of the physical nature of the object

Production constraints arising out of the production technology

Consumption constraints arising out of the way in which the object is mediated/consumed CT DTON

218th year No 49 Thursday, March 23, 2000 48p

PAG S F ATUR CONTST Litter , the mix Time we all MA O R The critics’ choice and previews of Oscar night mucked in Today’s Token Page 15

INSIDE Brankin back at work after surgery Blair puts NHS crusade Deputy Sports and Culture Minister Rhona Brankin was back at her desk yesterday, six weeks after undergoing surgery for breast cancer. Around 3300 new cases are diagnosed each year in Page 9 at heart of election fight Home News Nazi fears Challenge for health £10m top of the range sale service to reform

BENEDICT BROGAN, MURRAY RITCHIE AND ALAN MACDERMID TONY Blair yesterday pinned His decision to take personal his hopes of re-election to a charge of the issue confirmed that British authorities feared national crusade to reform the health has overtaken education as in 1948 that the Russians NHS. the big battleground of the next might spring seven Nazi He appealed to the health ser- election. Ministers are growing war criminals, including vice to match the Budget billions increasingly worried that the Albert Speer, from on offer from the Treasury with absence of visible improvements Spandau prison, secret fundamental reform. in the NHS, particularly in Eng- papers released today In England, the changes could land, is a turn-off for voters. reveal. see private sector managers Mr Blair’s statement was derid- brought in to take over failing ed by Tory leader William Hague, Page 3 NHS trusts, and hospitals being who accused him of speaking in awarded cash on the basis of their recycled cliches. He warned: “The ability to meet strictly enforced Prime Minister has now taken per- Politics performance targets. sonal responsibility for the health On hold Parallel moves north of the Bor- service. We will now hold him der would have to be sanctioned personally responsible.” Construction of a £22.8m by the Scottish Executive, but the At Holyrood, to warm applause, home for the Welsh Prime Minister made clear yester- Ms Deacon signalled the Execu- Assembly was put on hold day he intended to stress the tive’s “absolute determination” to yesterdayby Wales’s First “National” in NHS by making its turn round Scotland’s health Minister Rhodri Morgan. overhaul a UK-wide project. record. “We will take these new Page 7 Scottish Health Minister Susan resources to tackle the habit which Deacon chose to focus on her kills more Scots than any other. announcement that money raised We want fewer smokers, fewer Books from the Budget increase on babies growing up with the legacy Write times tobacco would be used to fund the of smoking, fewer deaths from biggest public health improvement smoking.” The Book Fair is programme in Scottish history. The £26m will also be used for doing a roaring trade, She said Scotland’s £26m share of a Health Promotion Fund to meet discovers Alexander the money would be used for “the long-term targets for better health Linklater, and our reviewers biggest ever springboard to do and social justice. “Not meddling peruse the latest releases. what needs to be done in Scotland: or nannying, but for the first time Pages 16 and 17 to wage war on ill health amongst delivering step-change improve- our people”. ments in lifestyles through diet Comment Chancellor Gordon Brown in and exercise.” his Budget unveiled a long-term Ms Deacon also promised to What wags programme to increase annual extend screening into new areas of Jack Webster reveals the NHS spending by more than a disease and across wider age Sea view: the Black , on the market for £10m. The clan chief has pledged the rugged range on Skye will stay in the public domain Picture: PETER JOLLY winner of the annual Wags third, which will bring British groups, and step up vaccination Dinner while our intrepid expenditure on health close to the programmes. Diarists dare to repeat the European average of 8%. Spend- Liberal Democrat health best lines from his speech. ing will rise from £49.3bn this spokeswoman, Nora Radcliffe, Clan chief puts Black year to £68.7bn in 2004. welcomed the establishment of Page 19 In the Commons, Mr Blair, the health promotion fund as the making his first statement in the fulfilment of a long-standing Lib- Bill chamber as Premier on a purely Dem commitment. Cuillins on the market domestic issue, confirmed he has However, SNP Shadow Health taken personal responsibility for Minister Kay Ullrich claimed the Government’s efforts to pro- Scotland was owed an extra duce visible improvements in the £1.1bn if Ms Deacon were to RAYMOND DUNCAN NHS in time for next year’s match Mr Brown’s goal of expected General Election. increased health spending. ONE of Scotland’s most people of Skye. It goes to show tenant farmers and local He will chair a UK-wide com- Scottish Tory leader David famous mountain ranges has that one thing worse than a communities accessing mittee, including First Minister McLetchie said the £300m ear- been offered for sale at more thieving foreign landlord is a Heritage Lottery Funding at Donald Dewar, which will seek to marked by the Chancellor for than £10m by a clan chief. greedy Scottish one.” District Valuer’s valuation. even out disparities in the ailing Scotland must be spent specifical- The aim is to raise funds to He also said it demonstrated Potential partners could service. ly on the public services identified repair an 800-year-old castle the need to get land reform include the council, Highlands While Mr Blair stressed the by Mr Brown, and the Executive which is the seat of a leading through Parliament at top and Islands Enterprise, importance of consultation must not divert the new money to clan. speed to stop “the obscenity of Scottish Natural Heritage and between the Government and the pay for the “ever-spiralling cost” Skye’s Black Cuillins, one of the National Trust for the country’s most spectacular Scotland. doctors, nurses, and managers of the new Parliament building. INSIDE “Fifty square miles of high- who run the NHS, Ministers have The announcements in Westmin- landscapes and an area of Councillor Michael Foxley, major international chair of the land and rise midge habitat ... I’ll be already drawn up plans to force ster and Holyrood were welcomed the pace of change by threatening by health professionals. Dr Ian importance, has been put on The chief’s castle environment select committee, itching to know what they health authorities with manage- Bogle, chairman of the BMA, the market by the 29th Chief – Page 2 said: “We will be seeking a get for it.’’ ment sackings and cash penalties. expressed his delight that Ministers of the Clan MacLeod. meeting in the very near The Prime Minister set five had had a change of heart over the John MacLeod of MacLeod future to set the ball rolling.” TV 36 & 37 challenges for the NHS, including way it wished to involve the med- yesterday described the landlords trying to cash in on The 64-year-old owner of one to the health professions, ical profession in its future plans. decision to sell as the most public concern for areas like said the move Intimations 2 which could see nurses given Mrs Margaret Pullin, acting difficult of his life and “an the Cuillins”. to sell the 35 square miles of responsibilities currently reserved Scottish Secretary of the Royal extremely painful experience”. The 23,300 acres include rugged landscape was Weather 4 to doctors and consultants. College of Nursing, praised the The move brought strong more than 14 miles of principally economic. Mr World News 14 Mr Blair said: “I say to our Government’s “bravery” in com- criticism from Western Isles coastline, two salmon rivers, a MacLeod called the mountain hard-working and dedicated staff mitting so heavily to preventive MP Calum MacDonald. He sheep farm and farmhouse. range “part of my soul”. He Arts 17 in the NHS: you challenged us to health measures which would not said: “The idea of selling the News of the sale prompted a vowed the Cuillins, once a Letters 18 come up with the money. We have pay off for 10-20 years. She also Cuillins is ridiculous but at call from Highland Council for temporary refuge for Bonnie done so. We rose to your chal- looked forward to nurses getting such a price it’s obscene. the mountains to be bought for Prince Charlie and now a Comment 19 lenge. Now I’m asking you to rise the chance to employ their skills in MacLeod should hang his the nation. It wants the “world paradise for geologists, Business 20 – 25 to ours. Work with us to make sure areas still the preserve of doctors. head in shame for trying to treasure” bought by a botanists and mountaineers, this money is spent well.” Leader comment Page 18 exploit what God has given the partnership of public bodies, Continued on Page 2 Sport 33 – 36, 38

FTSE Index 6609.6 – 8.3 DJ Industrials 10,866.70 – 40.64 Wiseman bids to be even bigger cheese £ = $ 1.5676 – 0.95 1= £ 0.6133 – 0.26 ROBERT Wiseman Dairies yes- Wiseman approached Unigate terday revealed an ambitious plan ROBERT POWELL Business Editor last week, and advisers said it is to buy the milk, butter and cheese expected to make a firm offer The electronic business of food giant Unigate for milk in East Kilbride, but it now northern England, and is building Dairy wants to buy Uni- within days. HERALD £225m. dominates the milk market in a dairy near Birmingham to estab- gate’s milk business with shares. The Scottish company, whose If the deal goes through, the Scotland with a market share of lish a foothold in the Midlands. But Dairy Crest’s share price has shares were battered by a profits www.theherald.co.uk Scottish company will more than over 70%. Unigate’s much larger milk declined steadily since the deal warning in December, has tenta- double in size and extend its cov- This has given rise to persistent operations are concentrated entire- was announced on February 18, tively proposed to pay £125m in 1 2 erage throughout the UK. It would grumbling among farmers and ly in southern England and Wales. lowering the value of its proposed cash and take on £100m of debt. become the second largest milk consumers. Accusations that The biggest problem facing deal to just over £200m. Unigate’s milk business made processor in Britain after Express Wiseman took part in a price-fix- Wiseman is that Unigate has A Wiseman takeover would pre- operating profits of £51m on Dairies with a market share of ing cartel triggered a Government already agreed to sell its milk sent the Government with less of turnover of £749m last year, 26%. It currently ranks fourth investigation into competition in business to its rival Dairy Crest. a problem in competition terms. more than double Wiseman’s with 11%. the Scottish milk market last However, the Scottish company is Dairy Crest, on the other hand, profits of £20m on sales of 9 770965 943346 Wiseman started life in 1947 as month. offering more money and is pre- would have a heavy overlap with £257m. a family farm which distributed The company is also strong in pared to pay cash. Unigate in southern England. Scottish bid Page 20

elaboration elaboration elaboration elaboration elaboration

partnership decision price is purpose to buy economic background high background elaboration money to be Offer of repair of Cuillins Cuillins reinvested sale of castle that history, elaboration includes in castle Black is clan seat geology, coasts, Cuillins name rivers, etc. concession many sellers good Cuillins is visitors confident deal for an important (no Disney Skye decision to MP area land) sell very criticises difficult sale

3.1 Folio 3.3 The Guardian 3.2 Teasers 3.4 3.5 Ministers’ 3.6 Pre-school cash boost Farmer picture 3.12 3.7 cartoon 3.8 Booby- 3.13 trap farm 3.14 murder 3.9 Link 3.15 to E-bookers Art advert 3.10 3.16 stor y 3.17 Police action against black farm squatters ruled out 3.18 General 3.19b index 3.19a 3.20 3.11 3.23 3.21; 3.22

Figure 4. Terminal layout elements of the Guardian Front page, April 11th, 2000. On the brink, page 3 Special report and audio dispatch from Chris McGreal in Harare at www.newsunlimited .co. uk / zimbabwe

Figure 5. Linking material concerning Zimbabwe on Guardian front page Key: 4.1 Zimbabwe on the brink 4.1 Page caption 4.2 4.2 Photo of 'poor blacks' 4.3 Caption: 'Dozens of white-owned farms in Zimbabwe have been occupied by poor blacks claiming the land as their own, with the support of Robert Mugabe's government, as the country's 4.4 political crisis deepens' 4.4 Photograph: Marion Herud 4.5 Headline 4.3 4.6 By-line: 'Chris McGreal in Wedza, Zimbabwe' 4.7 Map of Zimbabwe in context of bordering Zimbabwe’s whites lift their heads above the 4.5 countries, inset of position of Harare parapet: ‘Some of our guys want to kill…’ 4.8 Quotation: 'I am not a party political person but things are so bad I had to get involved. If democracy does not return, the 4.6 4.13 economy of this country will collapse'. 'Monty' Montgomery, white ex-policeman 4.7 Conspiracy 4.15 4.9 Crosshead: 'Gunpoint' 4.8 Gunpoint 4.10 Text of article 4.11 'Links: http://www.mdc.co.zw Movement for 4.9 Democratic Change' 4.10 4.12 Advert for charity 4.13 Crosshead: 'Conspiracy' 4.11 4.14 Photo caption: 'Morgan Tsvangirai, head of the opposition MDC: white support is crucial to his 4.12 attempt to topple Robert Mugabe' 4.15 Inset photo of Morgan Tsvangirai 4.14

Figure 6. Guardian printed edition, page 3 coverage of events in Zimbabwe elaboration (report from Zimbabwe) elaboration supplementary elaboration (report from Brux .) stage-setting Zimbabwe 4.7 4.2 White farms report MAP ‘poor threatened elaboration elaboration background elaboration on website blacks’ by black war photo vets Zim . govt. views of White political, elaboration Farms being taken, rules out police Material on front page blacks economic situation Some whites leaving, intervention elaboration elaboration great economic damage Link on front page to website background Material on page 3 EU decides to Views of MDC White involvement Degree of Attitudes to continue aid for EU states website in Movement for involve- Link on page 3 to website situation time being Democratic Change ment

crosshead : ‘gunpoint’ crosshead: ‘conspiracy’

Figure 7: Rhetorical Structure Analysis: Zimbabwe material, The Guardian, 11 April 2000

4.1 page content page caption

pic 4.5 text headline

4.2 4.3 article 4.7 4.8 inset picture caption map quote

body 4.6 4.11 4.14 4.15 by-line WWW caption picture

4.10a 4.10b 4.10c gunpoint conspiracy Figure 8. Layout structure for page 3 of Guardian

News Unlimited Home Page

Zimbabwe Special Report

Guardian related reports

Relevant external sites˚ April 11 April 11 April 10 Squatters Parapet Land Grabs

Position of link

List of many links

Summary

Practical constraints can subvert ideal rhetorical realisation: structure is not inherent in content

Navigation must be added to manage the result

Practical constraints differ between genres

Medium and production constraints will therefore help determine differences in realisations of RST structure across genres