Technical Foundations of Forensic Speech Science - LAN00082M

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  • Department: Language and Linguistic Science
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2025-26

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 Semester 1 2025-26

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

Module learning outcomes

Students will be able to:

  • Describe how sounds are produced, affected by the environment, and heard by human listeners.

  • Describe and explain the operation of each element in the audio recording chain.

  • Select and use appropriate methods, equipment and settings for recording, encoding and analysing audio data.

  • Use software to analyse audio recordings, determine their characteristics, and perform a range of enhancement and authentication tasks.

  • Evaluate recording and analysis techniques in terms of their suitability and limitations in a forensic casework setting.

  • Perform automatic speaker comparisons in software following best practice.

  • Assess the performance of forensic audio processing techniques, including audio enhancement and automatic speaker recognition.

Module content

Lecture topics include:

  • Acoustics

  • Hearing

  • Sound recording

  • Signal processing and analysis

  • Audio enhancement

  • Authentication

  • Automatic speaker recognition

Practical session topics include:

  • Auditory assessment of acoustic environments

  • Acoustic environments around campus

  • Making recordings

  • Characterising recordings

  • Enhancing audio

  • Editing recordings and authentication tests

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Online Exam -less than 24hrs (Centrally scheduled) 100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Online Exam -less than 24hrs (Centrally scheduled) 100

Module feedback

Formative lab report - marks and written feedback within 2 weeks

Summative lab report - marks and written feedback within 25 working days

Summative exam - marks within 25 working days

Indicative reading

Drygajlo, A., Jessen, M., Gfroerer, S., Wagner, I., Vermeulen, J. and Niemi, T. (2015). Methodological Guidelines for Best Practice in Forensic Semiautomatic and Automatic Speaker Recognition. ENFSI.

Howard, David and Murphy, Damian (2008). Voice science, acoustics and recording. San Diego; Oxford: Plural Publishing.

Johnson, Keith (2011). Acoustic and Auditory Phonetics (3rd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.

Maher, R. (2018). Principles of Forensic Audio Analysis. Cham: Springer.

Rumsey, F and McCormick, T (2009). Sound and Recording. Oxford: Focal Press.

Zjalic, J. (2020). Digital Audio Forensics Fundamentals: From Capture to Courtroom. Focal Press.