Genre in Non-Traditional Authorship Attribution Studies

The Dramatic Canon of William Shakespeare

Joseph Rudman

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2026
• Topic: Literature
• eBook ISBN:
  9781040628058
• Subtopic: Historical & Comparative Linguistics
• Index: Literature

This timely monograph explores the critical, yet often overlooked, role of genre in non-traditional authorship attribution studies. Drawing from linguistics, rhetoric, stylistics, forensic linguistics, and computational methods –including large language models (LLMs) – this book argues that genre must be treated as a central variable in any credible attribution analysis. Across domains from Shakespearean drama to courtroom linguistics, the book highlights how failing to control for genre risks undermines both results and credibility. It challenges the extremes of current thinking – whether genre dominates authorship or is eclipsed by it – by examining the vast and complex gray area between these poles. With case studies, critical commentary, and a detailed appendix cataloging over 120 stylistic markers across genres and authors, this work provides a robust resource for scholars, digital humanists, forensic linguists, and anyone invested in the integrity of authorship studies. It also offers an accessible introduction to the promises and pitfalls of LLMs in this evolving field. This volume is essential reading for both practitioners and consumers of attribution research.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Table of Contents
• List of Figures
• Preface
• 1 Introduction
• 2 The Definition and Categorization of Genre
• 3 Each Genre Has a Defining Style That Is Discernable
• 4 The Case That Genre Is Irrelevant in Non-Traditional Authorship Attribution Studies
• 5 The Case That Authorship Trumps Genre in Non-Traditional Authorship Attribution Studies – WHITE
• 6 The Case That Genre Trumps Authorship in Non-Traditional Authorship Attribution Studies – BLACK
• 7 The Case for Shades of GRAY
• 8 Can Genre Ever Be Mixed in the Experimental Design
• 9 Can Techniques Be Developed So That Genre Can Be Ignored in the Experimental Design
• 10 The Necessity of Controlling for Genre in the Experimental Design
• 11 Intra-Genres in Non-Traditional Authorship Attribution
• 12 The Legal Profession, Forensic Linguistics, and Genre
• 13 Shakespeare’s Drama as a Case in Point
• 14 Large Language Models
• 15 Conclusion
• Epilogue
• Appendix: Style Markers That Have Shown Differences between Genres: Style Markers That Have Shown Differences between Genre and Authorship
• Bibliography
• Index