What needs to be clarified
The task is to check the report’s separation of topic-related and individual features, distinguishing observed features from their interpretation. The assessment must consider the suitability of each item and whether the grounds for the proposed conclusion can be checked.
Materials to prepare
- Complete authorship report with feature tables
- All examined texts in their full original versions
- Same-speciality material for checking shared terminology
What to compare
Recalculate reported matches excluding terms and quotations; check function words, syntactic patterns and argument structure for recurrence in independent samples. Every significant feature is linked to a specific part of the material. Similarities and differences are assessed together, considering alternative explanations and the limitations of the examination method.
Possible outcome of the analysis
A possible deliverable is a review of the significance of reported matches, with verifiable examples and reasons for the assessment. Unresolved questions and additional examinations needed are stated separately, without promising an answer in advance.
Limits of the conclusions
Review does not replace an independent authorship comparison. Conclusions are confined to the examined items and stated conditions; insufficient features require an explicit finding that the relevant question cannot be resolved.