The State of Authorship Attribution Studies: Some Problems and Solutions

The statement, ’’Results of most non-traditional authorship attribution studies are not universally accepted as definitive,' is explicated. A variety of problems in these studies are listed and discussed: studies governed by expediency; a lack of competent research; flawed statistical techniques; corrupted primary data; lack of expertise in allied fields; a dilettantish approach; inadequate treatment of errors. Various solutions are suggested: construct a correct and complete experimental design; educate the practitioners; study style in its totality; identify and educate the gatekeepers; develop a complete theoretical framework; form an association of practitioners. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.