Forensic stylometry: A theoretical basis for further developments of practical methods

✍ Scribed by M.W.A. Smith

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 1989
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 953 KB
• Volume: 29
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0015-7368
• DOI: 10.1016/s0015-7368(89)73209-6

✦ Synopsis

A theoretical examination shows that claims of near certainty of ascription by Morton's method, for determining authorship of disputed texts, are exaggerated. The findings of previous investigations into the method are briefly summarised. Specifically, its poor performance when applied experimentally to forensic texts is substantiated and then generalised by demonstrating that the observed lack of reliable discriminatory power is theoretically predictable. The main part of the paper consists of the derivation of a theoretical framework to provide a foundation from which to develop sound alternative approaches to overcome weaknesses inherent in Morton's method. The various components of one such practical proposal, which is of potential for forensic applications, are described.