معرفی
Ralph Morton is a Research Fellow at the Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics within the College of Business and Social Sciences at Aston University, located in Birmingham, United Kingdom. His research focuses on forensic linguistics, youth justice systems, and child protection, particularly analyzing linguistic features in criminal justice assessments and dark web activities related to child sexual abuse. He holds a PhD from Coventry University (2017) and an MA in Forensic Linguistics from Aston University (2011).
Education:
- PhD, 'The BT Correspondence Corpus 1853-1982: The development and analysis of archival language resources', Coventry University (2017)
- MA in Applied Linguistics (Forensic Linguistics), Aston University (2011)
Research Interests: Morton explores language use in youth justice assessment processes, resilience in emotionally demanding research environments, and methodological advancements in linguistic analysis. His work bridges forensic linguistics with criminal justice practices, emphasizing ethical considerations and practical applications. Key areas include the role of language in resisting/engaging with assessment protocols and the linguistic markers of user activity in harmful online forums.
Grants & Projects:
- Research Assistant, 'Language of DIY Justice' project, Birmingham City University (2020–2021)
- Research Associate, 'Exploring the language barrier to engagement in youth justice assessment interviews', Loughborough University (2017–2019)
Collaborations: Morton collaborates internationally on criminal justice and forensic linguistics topics, evidenced by his participation in multidisciplinary projects and presentations, including an upcoming oral presentation on ethnic disproportionality in criminal prosecution case files (July 2025). His work has attracted attention with 20 readers on Mendeley and contributions to peer-reviewed journals and conferences.
