Information Summarization in a Corps-Level Scenario.
Abstract
This research obtained data to develop guidelines for summarizing TOS message content, particularly tactical intelligence data. Sixteen staff officers were asked to read a description of a tactical scenario and to examine 30 enemy situation data (ESD) messages describing the beginning of an enemy border crossing and attack. Each officer's task was to summarize the tactical information contained in the messages in preparation for a 3-minute briefing of the G2. The 16 handwritten summaries were typed and evaluated by five military raters. Collectively, the raters felt that a 'good' summary of intelligence information should give hard facts in conversational style and an interpretation of the intelligence information. In terms of a general outline for summarization (i.e., the schema). summaries judged 'good' by the raters tended to first describe the engagement of enemy forces along the border, then unit movement both near and behind the border. Following this summary of the dynamic aspects of the enemy situation, the locations of key support units were noted, often in conjunction with a statement concerning the location of the second echelon. Finally, another inference was made regarding the probable point of main thrust by the enemy. It was suggested that these prescriptive norms can be translated into guidelines for staff officers to enable them to produce more useful and effective intelligence-message summaries. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA078021
Entities
People
- Michael G. Samet
- Ralph E. Geiselman