This course provides an introduction to the practical, ethical, and legal principles of speech analysis in forensic investigations of speech and audio recordings.
Pre-requisite modules
Co-requisite modules
- None
Prohibited combinations
- None
Occurrence | Teaching period |
---|---|
A | Semester 1 2023-24 |
This course provides an introduction to the practical, ethical, and legal principles of forensic speech analysis in criminal investigations. Through auditory and instrumental analysis, we will investigate the phonetic parameters which can be useful in the process of identifying an individual speaker. We will discuss and replicate phonetic analysis which has been performed in criminal cases. We will also explore the performance of lay listeners in speaker identification, discussing the problems involved in eliciting and using 'earwitness' evidence in court.
By the end of the module you should:
understand the theoretical and methodological issues which underpin analysis of recordings involved in forensic cases.
understand the problems involved in performing suitable analysis where the available materials are difficult and/or sensitive.
have experience of practical problems in analysis of difficult and/or sensitive materials.
appreciate the ethical issues involved in collecting and analysing forensic data.
have developed your competence in the following skills:
analysing data using qualitative, quantitative and statistical methods
graphic and statistical presentation of data
writing professional reports, using standard types of argumentation.
This module involves a combination of lecture-style teaching and lab-based practical tasks.
Task | % of module mark |
---|---|
Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) | 60 |
Essay/coursework | 40 |
None
Task | % of module mark |
---|---|
Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) | 60 |
Essay/coursework | 40 |
Weekly in lab sessions and office hours.
Formative & summative: general feedback within one week; individual feedback by weeks 8 (F) and 11 (S).
French, J.P. & Harrison, P. (2006) Investigative and evidential application of forensic speech science. In A. Heaton-Armstrong, E. Shepherd, G. Gudjonsson & D. Wolchover (eds.) Witness Testimony: Psychological, Investigative and Evidential Perspectives. Oxford: OUP. pp. 247-262.
Jessen, M. (2008) Forensic phonetics. Language and Linguistics Compass 2(4): 671-711.
Jessen, M. (2018) Forensic voice comparison. In M. Rathert & J. Visconti (eds.) Handbook of Communication in the Legal Sphere. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 219-255.