Argumentation Hub (ARGH)

Brief and project description

The Argumentation Hub (ARGH) is a multidisciplinary research laboratory that brings together experts from Linguistics, Philosophy, Social Sciences, Computer Science, and Artificial Intelligence around the study of argumentation. Established within the Media Innovation Labs of the University of Porto, ARGH promotes collaboration across disciplines to better understand how arguments shape human reasoning, communication, and decision-making.

Argumentation is studied from multiple perspectives, including rhetoric, discourse analysis, forensic linguistics, legal reasoning, sociology, psychology, and computational argumentation. The lab investigates how argumentative structures influence public debate, judicial decisions, online interactions, and the dissemination of information in digital environments.

Within Artificial Intelligence, ARGH explores computational models of reasoning and argumentation that support transparent and human-understandable decision-making systems. Research also addresses natural language processing, argument mining, and automated analysis of persuasive discourse, contributing to the development of trustworthy AI technologies.

The hub combines fundamental and applied research, with a particular focus on contemporary societal challenges such as misinformation, online radicalization, media literacy, and digital communication. Through this work, ARGH seeks to advance both scientific knowledge and practical applications of argumentation technologies in digital media ecosystems.

The project aims to strengthen interdisciplinary research while fostering innovative solutions that improve the analysis, interpretation, and responsible use of argumentative content in society.

Period: Ongoing