Data augmentation is an important method for evaluating the robustness of and enhancing the diversity of training data for natural language processing (NLP) models. In this paper, we present NL-Augmenter, a new participatory Python-based natural language (NL) augmentation framework which supports the creation of transformations (modifications to the data) and filters (data splits according to specific features). We describe the framework and an initial set of 117 transformations and 23 filters for a variety of NL tasks annotated with noisy descriptive tags. The transformations incorporate noise, intentional and accidental human mistakes, socio-linguistic variation, semantically-valid style, syntax changes, as well as artificial constructs that are unambiguous to humans. We demonstrate the efficacy of NL-Augmenter by using its transformations to analyze the robustness of popular language models. We find different models to be differently challenged on different tasks, with quasi-systematic score decreases. The infrastructure, datacards, and robustness evaluation results are publicly available on GitHub for the benefit of researchers working on paraphrase generation, robustness analysis, and low-resource NLP. El aumento de datos es un método importante para evaluar la solidez y mejorar la diversidad del entrenamiento datos para modelos de procesamiento de lenguaje natural (NLP). इस लेख में, हम एनएल-ऑगमेंटर का प्रस्ताव करते हैं - एक नया भागी- दारी पूर्वक, पायथन में बनाया गया, लैंग्वेज (एनएल) ऑग्मेंटेशन फ्रेमवर्क जो ट्रांसफॉर्मेशन (डेटा में बदलाव करना) और फीलटर (फीचर्स के अनुसार डेटा का भाग करना) के नीरमान का समर्थन करता है।. 我们描述了NL-Augmenter框架及其初步包含的117种转换和23个过滤器，并 大致标注分类了一系列可适配的自然语言任务. این دگرگونی ها شامل نویز، اشتباهات عمدی و تصادفی انسانی، تنوع اجتماعی-زبانی، سبک معنایی معتبر، تغییرات نحوی و همچنین ساختارهای مصنوعی است که برای انسان ها مبهم است. NL-Augmenterpa allin kaynintam qawachiyku, tikrakuyninku- nata servichikuspayku, chaywanmi qawariyku modelos de lenguaje popular nisqapa allin takyasqa kayninta. Kami menemukan model yang berbeda ditantang secara berbeda pada tugas yang berbeda, dengan penurunan skor kuasi-sistematis. Infrastruktur, kartu data, dan hasil evaluasi ketahanan dipublikasikan tersedia secara gratis di GitHub untuk kepentingan para peneliti yang mengerjakan pembuatan parafrase, analisis ketahanan, dan NLP sumber daya rendah.

Structured interviews are used in many settings, importantly in market research on topics such as brand perception, customer habits, or preferences, which are critical to product development, marketing, and e-commerce at large. Such interviews generally consist of a series of questions that are asked to a participant. These interviews are typically conducted by skilled interviewers, who interpret the responses from the participants and can adapt the interview accordingly. Using automated conversational agents to conduct such interviews would enable reaching a much larger and potentially more diverse group of participants than currently possible. However, the technical challenges involved in building such a conversational system are relatively unexplored. To learn more about these challenges, we convert a market research multiple-choice questionnaire to a conversational format and conduct a user study. We address the key task of conducting structured interviews, namely interpreting the participant's response, for example, by matching it to one or more predefined options. Our findings can be applied to improve response interpretation for the information elicitation phase of conversational recommender systems.