Research Article

Quantifying the Gradient of Doubt: Framework for Epistemic Uncertainty in Linguistic Hedges

by  Bharti, Pawan Tamta
journal cover
International Journal of Applied Information Systems
Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA
Volume 13 - Issue 2
Published: March 2026
Authors: Bharti, Pawan Tamta
10.5120/ijais2026452045
PDF

Bharti, Pawan Tamta . Quantifying the Gradient of Doubt: Framework for Epistemic Uncertainty in Linguistic Hedges. International Journal of Applied Information Systems. 13, 2 (March 2026), 18-33. DOI=10.5120/ijais2026452045

                        @article{ 10.5120/ijais2026452045,
                        author  = { Bharti,Pawan Tamta },
                        title   = { Quantifying the Gradient of Doubt:  Framework for Epistemic Uncertainty in Linguistic Hedges },
                        journal = { International Journal of Applied Information Systems },
                        year    = { 2026 },
                        volume  = { 13 },
                        number  = { 2 },
                        pages   = { 18-33 },
                        doi     = { 10.5120/ijais2026452045 },
                        publisher = { Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA }
                        }
                        %0 Journal Article
                        %D 2026
                        %A Bharti
                        %A Pawan Tamta
                        %T Quantifying the Gradient of Doubt:  Framework for Epistemic Uncertainty in Linguistic Hedges%T 
                        %J International Journal of Applied Information Systems
                        %V 13
                        %N 2
                        %P 18-33
                        %R 10.5120/ijais2026452045
                        %I Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA
Abstract

Nuanced communication heavily relies on hedges, which are linguistic strategies that convey ambiguity or uncertainty. In many computational tasks, such as sentiment analysis and natural language processing, it is crucial to assess the degree of uncertainty introduced by a hedge accurately. This paper outlines a technique for extracting hedges. It provides a detailed examination of one of their features, specifically the level of fuzziness associated with them, thereby facilitating more efficient information retrieval. Additionally, it aims to lay the groundwork for a "Fuzziness Score" for hedges by investigating key factors, potential methodologies, and associated challenges.

References
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Index Terms
Computer Science
Information Sciences
No index terms available.
Keywords

Hedges Information retrieval Hedge-Qualifiers Degree of association Nuanced communication

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