Forensic Speaker Identification

by Phil Rose

A voice is much more than just a string of words. Voices, unlike fingerprints, are inherently complex. They signal a great deal of information in addition to the intended message: the speakers' sex, for example, or their emotional state, or age. Although evidence from DNA analysis grabs the headlines, DNA can't talk. It can't be recorded planning, carrying-out or confessing to a crime. It can't be so apparently directly incriminating. Perhaps it is these features that contribute to the interest and importance of Forensic Speaker Identification (FSI)Forensic Speaker Identification explains what FSI involves, and clarifies the problems of inferring identity from speech under the less than ideal conditions typical in forensics.; It will allow the reader to appreciate:*the complexities of voice sample comparison*the probabilistic nature of the technique - it will not yield absolute identification or exclusion of a suspect*the difficulties introduced by differential variation within and between voices and the generally poor degree of control over forensic samples*acoustic and auditory comparison and the comparison of linguistic and non-linguistic features*the expertise required in linguistics, acoustics and statistics.This book has been written for forensic scientists, the legal profession and law enforcement officers. It's accessible to those with no previous knowledge of FSI, or of phonetics or acoustics. It can also be used as a base for teaching tertiary level courses in aspects of phonetics.This practical, lucid text takes the reader through all the underpinning knowledge necessary, and will bring much needed clarity to an important technique.

Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2002