Studying at York
Technical Foundations of Forensic Speech Science - LAN00082M
Module summary
This module provides an introduction to a range of areas such as acoustics, human hearing, sound recording, signal processing and analysis that underpin the technical areas of forensic speech science. We will discover how this fundamental knowledge is applied in casework, including enhancement, authentication and automatic speaker recognition. We will develop practical auditory and technical analysis skills and examine a variety of real casework materials.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Spring Term 2022-23 |
Module aims
- To give students an understanding of the fundamentals of areas such as acoustics, human hearing, sound recording, signal processing and analysis that underpin the technical areas of forensic speech science including enhancement, authentication and automatic speaker recognition
- To give students an understanding of how this fundamental knowledge is applied in the analysis methods used in these types of forensic casework
- To give students the skills to critically assess audio recordings and identify their salient acoustic and technical characteristics
- To give students the skills to select and correctly apply the appropriate processing and analysis tools when examining speech and audio recordings
- To build on the technical and forensic casework content introduced in the Term 1 module ‘Introduction to Forensic Speech Science’
- To give students exposure to a range of real casework materials and give them the opportunity to examine it using the knowledge and skills developed in the module
Module learning outcomes
The students will know and understand the fundamentals of acoustics including:
- Sound sources
- How sound propagates and interacts
- How sound is characterised and measured
- The students will know and understand the fundamentals of human hearing including:
- The basics of human hearing
- Non-linear frequency and amplitude response
- Frequency and temporal masking
- Speech perception and intelligibility
The students will know and understand the fundamentals of sound recording including:
- The elements of the recording chain
- Recording and encoding formats
The students will know and understand the fundamentals of signal processing and analysis including:
- Digitisation
- Time domain and frequency domain representations of signals
- Characterisation of signals
- Simple analysis techniques involving waveforms, spectrograms and spectra
- Filtering processes
- Convolution and correlation
- Advanced analysis techniques – LPC, MFCC
The students will know and understand the fundamentals of audio enhancement including:
- Types and sources of noise and other speech intelligibility problems encountered in casework
- The principles of a range of filters and processes used in audio enhancement
- The appropriate uses of the filters and their limitations
- Methods of assessing improvement
The students will know and understand the fundamentals of authentication including:
- Editing methods
- Detection of editing via auditory and acoustic analysis methods
- ENF analysis
The students will understand the fundamentals of automatic speaker recognition:
- Speaker modelling
- Comparison of speaker models
- System evaluation and performance
The students will be able to do the following:
- Describe the characteristics of audio recordings based on auditory examinations
- Use software to analyse audio recordings and determine their characteristics
- Use software to enhance audio recordings
- Apply a range of analysis methods used in the authentication of audio recordings
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 30 |
| Online Exam - 24 hrs (Centrally scheduled) | 70 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 30 |
| Online Exam - 24 hrs (Centrally scheduled) | 70 |
Module feedback
Written feedback on the formative lab report will be provided within 2 weeks of submission. Written feedback on the summative lab report will be provided within 3 weeks of submission. General feedback may also be given to the group as a whole and the course convener will be available to discuss individual feedback if necessary.
Feedback will be given after the open exam marks have been released and students will be able to see their own exam papers.
Indicative reading
Suggested reading includes:
Chapters 1 to 3 in Rumsey, F and McCormick, T (2009). Sound and Recording. Oxford: Focal Press.
Koenig, B. and Lacey, D. (2009). Forensic Authentication of Digital Audio Recordings. AES: Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, 57, 662-695.
During the module other reading will be listed on the VLE.