read this and then vote. While many topics are addressed in the science of linguistics, of particular relevance to this forum is forensic linguistics as applied to PR authorship of the RN, which I underlined.
And hence,
Is there any RDI that is willing to accept Forensic linguistics as a science and as a valid and legitimate forensic investigative tool?
The first questions I am presented with on direct examination are always to describe and explain what I do. This requires a series of brief and clear responses defining the theory and the nested array of analytical tools used in cases of questioned authorship: language, linguistics, linguistic variation, forensic linguistics, style, stylistics, and forensic stylistics.
Consequently, I have used these questions to define the aims and struc- ture of this book: to provide an introduction to language, linguistics, and linguistic variation for nonlinguists (e.g., attorneys) who need to understand what linguist-witnesses do; to introduce the discipline of forensic linguistics; and to situate forensic stylistics as a field of language study and forensic analysis within the discipline of forensic linguistics. Chapters 1 through 6 will approximate this sequence.
Although the linguistic study of language is well established, linguistics is something new for many jurors, judges, attorneys, and other forensic specialists. In addition, many linguists must learn how to talk about what they do in nontechnical terms, something accomplished to some degree here, I hope.
Forensic linguistics is not a new field, but over the past few years it has become more structured and better defined within the academic and forensic communities. Is it the accused killer’s voice on the 911 recording reporting the crime? What exactly does it mean to die by accident, e.g., is sudden infant death an accident? Is it a request for drugs if a kid asks an undercover police officer, “What’s chillin?” Does it make any sense to say that someone did not commit genocide, just acts of genocide (The New York Times, August 26,
2001)? Who did, or did not, write that ransom note found in the JonBenét Ramsey home? If a detective asks a suspect, “… do you want to speak with us about why you were arrested?” is the suspect waiving his right not to speak by answering, “Yes, I would like to know why I was arrested”? Does McDonald’s own the Mc at the beginning of my last name (Liptak, 2001:10)?
These examples illustrate a few of the questions for forensic linguistics: phonetics (911 call), semantics (meaning of accident), pragmatics (intended meanings of “What’s chillin’?” and genocide), stylistics (authorship of the ransom note), discourse analysis (suspect waiver of rights), and trademarks (McDonald’s Mc).
An understanding of language, linguistics, and the field of forensic lin- guistics will enable the reader to develop a more informed understanding of recent advances in the theory and method of forensic stylistics for authorship identification. Style is a reflection of individual and group variation in written language. Linguistic stylistics is the scientific study of individual style-mark- ers as described for the idiolect of a single writer and of class style-markers identified for language and dialect groups. Forensic stylistics is the applica- tion of the science of linguistic stylistics to forensic contexts and purposes. “Advances” in forensic stylistics refers to the progressive development of
a deeper understanding of why and how present approaches work, as well as changes being made in the application of style analysis to cases of questioned authorship. Such advances have several sources: recent casework, new federal requirements for scientific evidence in the U.S., reexamination of the theory of style and its application to the forensic context, and critical response to documented approaches such as those presented in Forensic Stylistics (McMe- namin, 1993). Advances in forensic stylistics are the matter of Chapters 7 to
11. Chapters 12 to 15 reflect new work in the stylistics of languages other than English.
McMConsequently, I have used these questions to define the aims and struc- ture of this book: to provide an introduction to language, linguistics, and linguistic variation for nonlinguists (e.g., attorneys) who need to understand what linguist-witnesses do; to introduce the discipline of forensic linguistics; and to situate forensic stylistics as a field of language study and forensic analysis within the discipline of forensic linguistics. Chapters 1 through 6 will approximate this sequence.
Although the linguistic study of language is well established, linguistics is something new for many jurors, judges, attorneys, and other forensic specialists. In addition, many linguists must learn how to talk about what they do in nontechnical terms, something accomplished to some degree here, I hope.
Forensic linguistics is not a new field, but over the past few years it has become more structured and better defined within the academic and forensic communities. Is it the accused killer’s voice on the 911 recording reporting the crime? What exactly does it mean to die by accident, e.g., is sudden infant death an accident? Is it a request for drugs if a kid asks an undercover police officer, “What’s chillin?” Does it make any sense to say that someone did not commit genocide, just acts of genocide (The New York Times, August 26,
2001)? Who did, or did not, write that ransom note found in the JonBenét Ramsey home? If a detective asks a suspect, “… do you want to speak with us about why you were arrested?” is the suspect waiving his right not to speak by answering, “Yes, I would like to know why I was arrested”? Does McDonald’s own the Mc at the beginning of my last name (Liptak, 2001:10)?
These examples illustrate a few of the questions for forensic linguistics: phonetics (911 call), semantics (meaning of accident), pragmatics (intended meanings of “What’s chillin’?” and genocide), stylistics (authorship of the ransom note), discourse analysis (suspect waiver of rights), and trademarks (McDonald’s Mc).
An understanding of language, linguistics, and the field of forensic lin- guistics will enable the reader to develop a more informed understanding of recent advances in the theory and method of forensic stylistics for authorship identification. Style is a reflection of individual and group variation in written language. Linguistic stylistics is the scientific study of individual style-mark- ers as described for the idiolect of a single writer and of class style-markers identified for language and dialect groups. Forensic stylistics is the applica- tion of the science of linguistic stylistics to forensic contexts and purposes. “Advances” in forensic stylistics refers to the progressive development of
a deeper understanding of why and how present approaches work, as well as changes being made in the application of style analysis to cases of questioned authorship. Such advances have several sources: recent casework, new federal requirements for scientific evidence in the U.S., reexamination of the theory of style and its application to the forensic context, and critical response to documented approaches such as those presented in Forensic Stylistics (McMe- namin, 1993). Advances in forensic stylistics are the matter of Chapters 7 to
11. Chapters 12 to 15 reflect new work in the stylistics of languages other than English.
And hence,
Is there any RDI that is willing to accept Forensic linguistics as a science and as a valid and legitimate forensic investigative tool?