Forensic Stylistics and Digital Authorship Attribution in Informal WhatsApp Communication: A Case Study of Abasyn University Peshawar Pakistan

Abstract

Identifying authorship in digitally mediated communication has become an important concern in forensic linguistics. Moreover, identification of the author of a text becomes challenging in socially connected groups whose members share similar linguistic features. Using a qualitative approach, this study aims to explore the stylistic features used in WhatsApp group messages among university classmates. Furthermore, it examines how these features contribute to authorship attribution despite similarities and convergence in group communication. Using purposive sampling technique, the data for this study is collected from a shared WhatsApp group chat comprising nine students of Abasyn University of Peshawar. The data is analyzed qualitatively using McMenamin's (2002) Forensic Stylistic framework focusing on vocabulary, abbreviation, and punctuation. The analysis reveals that individual differences across the selected linguistic levels are distinct and exclusive to individuals despite shared group communication patterns, supporting the effectiveness of forensic stylistic analysis for authorship attribution.