Evidential information represented in dialogue

This article presents an analysis of the representation of evidential information in Spanish dialogues. Evidential information is defined as the source of the information communicated. Specifically, the representation of implicit and explicit sources of information is investigated in 28 dialogues that were produced in open-ended role-plays. A qualitative approach to dialogue analysis, supported by quantitative data, indicates that patterns of coherence and fragmentation align with implicit and explicit evidential information. Findings reveal that evidential information is represented in Spanish dialogues through the dialogic process. Degrees of coherence and fragmentation not only describe how dialogues are organized but, also, serve to represent the speaker’s cognitive details, as in this case of evidential information.