Analysis of TimeBank as a resource for TimeML parsing

Abstract

We present an analysis of the TimeBank corpus - the only available reference for TimeML-compliant annotation - from the point of view of its utility as a training resource for developing automated TimeML annotators. Experimental results indicative of the potential of TimeBank are encouraging; at the same time, closer inspection of causes for some systematic errors shows certain deficiencies in the corpus, primarily to do with small size and inconsistent annotation. Our analysis suggests that even a reference resource, developed outside of a rigorous process of corpus design and creation, can be extremely valuable for training and development purposes. The analysis also highlights areas of correction and improvement for evolving the corpus into a community infrastructure resource.