Identifying the author of a text
Comparison of a disputed text with samples from the presumed author: style, vocabulary, syntax and composition.
from RUB 90 000
Authorship examination
The text leaves
traces of its author.
Identification of a text's likely author, analysis of anonymous messages, online publications, business correspondence and linguistic style, and review of expert reports.
Before work begins
We test the authorship hypothesis.
Prepare the disputed text, comparable samples and information about the circumstances of their creation. The volume and suitability of the materials are assessed before examination.
Choose questions for the expert ↗Services
Authorship examinations for court proceedings and a pre-trial position
Anonymous messages
Complaints, reviews, comments, letters, publications and messenger messages.
from RUB 80,000
Forensic authorship examination
Examination pursuant to a court order or to prepare a position in a case.
from RUB 90 000
Online publications and correspondence
Posts, comments, email, business correspondence and messages in the digital environment.
from RUB 75,000
Combined linguistic and authorship examination
Combined analysis of authorship, meaning, style, linguistic form and context.
from 120 000 ₽
Review of an expert report
Checking methodology, samples, completeness of examination, logic and substantiation of the findings.
from RUB 60,000
Approach
Analysis of a pattern of linguistic features rather than 'guessing the author'
Authorship examination studies a text as a product of language: vocabulary, syntax, composition, recurring expressions, errors, genre habits, punctuation features and individual manner of expression.
Comparable samples are important for a sound examination: texts by the presumed author similar in genre, time of creation, circumstances and length.
- Disputed text
publication, letter, review, comment, complaint or correspondence. - Samples
freely produced, conditionally free and experimental texts. - Features
vocabulary, syntax, style, composition, errors and linguistic habits. - Result
specialist opinion, expert report review or forensic examination.
Important: authorship examination differs from handwriting examination: a handwriting expert examines the execution of handwritten text and signatures, while an authorship expert examines the content and linguistic features of a text.
Pricing
Authorship examination prices
| Initial telephone consultation | free for up to 15 minutes |
| Preliminary text analysis | from RUB 20,000 |
| Brief specialist opinion | from RUB 45,000 |
| Stylistic and linguistic analysis | from RUB 60,000 |
| Anonymous messages and correspondence | from RUB 80,000 |
| Identification of the likely author | from RUB 90 000 |
| Forensic authorship examination | from RUB 90 000 |
| Review of an authorship expert report | from RUB 60,000 |
The cost depends on the length of the text, number of samples, number of presumed authors, questions and urgency.
About the expert
Andrei Viktorovich
Expert assistance with disputed texts, authorship, anonymous messages, correspondence, publications, business documents and reviews of authorship expert reports.
Text and samples
Comparison of the disputed text and comparison samples with regard to genre, length and circumstances of creation.
Scope of expertise
Linguistic features and the degree to which they match are examined without taking the place of the court's legal assessment.
Combined tasks
Where necessary, the work can be combined with linguistic, technical or document examination.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can the author be identified from a short message?
The scope for examination is sometimes limited. The shorter and more formulaic the text, the fewer individual linguistic features it contains. The text itself and samples need to be reviewed for an assessment.
What samples are needed?
Texts by the presumed author similar to the disputed material in genre, topic, time and circumstances of creation are desirable.
Can an existing expert report be reviewed?
Yes. This requires the complete report, appendices, questions, samples and materials referred to by the expert.
Is this the same as handwriting examination?
No. Handwriting examination studies handwriting and signatures, while authorship examination studies a text as a product of language.
Inquiry
Send the texts and samples for a preliminary assessment
After review, it is possible to determine whether an examination is feasible, which materials are needed, how much the work will cost and which format is most suitable: a specialist opinion, expert report review or forensic examination.