AIFL BOOK LAUNCH: Chiang & Morton, Picornell, Tayebi

Join us on May 21st for the launch event of 3 newly published monographs by members of our Institute: Emily Chiang, Ralph Morton, Isabel Picornell and Tahmineh Tayebi. Agenda and details of the event will follow closer to the date.

Title: Forensic Linguistics in the United Kingdom: Origins, Progress and Prospects

Authors: Dr. Ralph Morton and Dr. Emily Chiang (Aston University)

Abstract: This Cambridge Element provides an overview of the origins and development of forensic linguistics in the UK, starting from the earliest work and the circumstances that allowed the field to develop. It details the UK-based developments in forensic authorship analysis and profiling, and outlines research on spoken practices in legal contexts, before turning to recent developments in the analysis of criminal and abusive behaviours in online contexts. Finally, the Element summarises the current state of forensic linguistics in the UK, pointing to key debates and potential future directions.

Title: The Linguistics of Analysing Deception in Written Texts

Author: Dr. Isabel Picornell (Aston University)

Abstract: This Element explores the analysis of deception in written texts from a forensic linguistic perspective. It provides an overview of the evolution of deception research and philosophy, from its earliest conceptualisation as a sin against God, to cue leakage theories and pseudoscientific beliefs built on medieval concepts of deceptive behaviour, to current psychology and linguistic based approaches to identifying lying. This requires an appreciation of where linguistic analysis fits into the eight decades plus of deception research, which is addressed here: the relationships between deceptive intention and communication; between emotional states and the linguistic features claimed to represent them; and between language and linguistic analysis. This Element is written for the non-linguist professional, especially those engaged in investigative and inquisitorial contexts, to provide them with some knowledge to assess the strengths and limitations of approaches to analysing lying and deception as produced in written texts.

Title: Words that Wound. Exploring Online Offensive Language

Authors: Dr. Tahmineh Tayebi (Aston University) and Dr. Vahid Parvaresh (Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge

Abstract: This book explores the complex nature of offence, examining how language, from individual words to broader linguistic patterns, can be used to construct offensive meanings. It maps the spectrum of offensive language online and theorises the boundary between language that is merely offensive and language that is grossly offensive and meets the criminal threshold. Through a multi-layered analysis of words, meanings, and context, the book provides a deeper understanding of how offence is creatively constructed, conveyed, interpreted and experienced on social media.

Respondent for this event is Professor Jack Grieve (University of Birmingham).

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Host or Publisher Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics