ELDA - Evaluations and Language resources Distribution Agency

Imperfections observed in a database distributed by ELRA and its distribution agency ELDA can be reported. This service is hosted by SPEX, which is ELRA’s validation centre for speech databases.

For the time being, this service is restricted to speech databases only, but the idea is that it will be extended

to other types of language resources in the future. You will find a link in ELRA’s web pages for Spoken Language Resources to this bug report service (http://www.icp.inpg.fr/ELRA/), in the section "Services around LRs". You may win an attractive prize if you use this new service !

What is the idea ?

No speech database is perfect. This is the observation of all people who use them. The actual users are the best test persons to discover and report any remaining imperfections in a database. ELRA, being the intermediate between data providers and data users, considers quality maintenance of the databases in its catalogue as one of its key objectives. Therefore, ELRA is very keen in knowing and correcting any imperfections in the databases that it distributes. By offering a service where users can report the bugs found in ELRA’s databases, all can benefit. ELRA can offer databases with still better quality ; users can obtain better results with the database.

How does it work ?

Anybody who finds bugs in one of ELRA’s speech databases is kindly invited and stimulated to go to the bug report. The errors detected should be reported as precisely as possible.

Reported errors enter the following protocol :

Acknowledgement of receipt of the bug report (by SPEX) ;

Reported errors are verified (by SPEX) ;

The ’verified error list’ for the database is updated (by SPEX) ;

The updated formal error lists are distributed to ELRA members (by ELDA) ;

After compilation of a substantial amount of errors, a patch file is created and distributed (by ELDA).

This joint effort of users, producers and ELRA will make the quality of speech databases better. The people who report some errors should then be rewarded. Two prizes (PDA’s in the range of 600 - 800 Euros) will be given

once a year. One goes to the best contributor, i.e. the person who reports the most serious, true bugs, in a clear manner. The other goes to one of the other contributors by means of a random draw.

So, this is your chance to get rid of your bugs and get hold of a surprise !

Contact : Khalid Choukri Contact

ELRA & ELDA 55-57, rue Brillat Savarin 75013 Paris (France) Tel. : +33 1 43 13 33 33 Fax : +33 1 43 13 33 30

*** About ELRA & ELDA ***

The European Language Resources Association (ELRA) is a non-profit making organisation founded by the European Commission in 1995, with the mission of providing a clearing house for language resources and promoting Human Language Technologies (HLT).

The Evaluation and Language resources Distribution Agency (ELDA) is ELRA’s operational body. ELDA identifies, collects, markets, and distributes language resources, along with the dissemination of general information in the field of HLT. ELDA also participates in some evaluation projects and campaigns, has considerable knowledge and skills in HLT applications and has participated in many French, European and international projects.

To find out more about ELRA and ELDA, please visit our web site : www.elda.fr

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