Perspectives of Forensic Linguistics Research in Iran

Abstract

Forensic linguistics tackles legal ends through linguistic means and it has established a sublime place for itself in international academic centers. In the past 10 years, some studies have been conducted on forensic linguistics in Iran and it has been approved by the ministry of education as a two-unit course at PhD level in Linguistics programs and it is offered in the field of Criminology at PhD level at Iran’s Police Academy; however, it has room for advancement in a range of domains. This research aimed to study the perspective and functions of forensic linguistics in Iran. The research rationale lay in the fact that the exigencies of the era we live in prompt us to practice majors that can practically serve the current and future Iranian society. The participants of this qualitative study were 13 university lecturers in TEFL and law. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. To meet the aims of the study, the research provided an introduction to the history and development of forensic linguistics and highlighted its perspectives in Iran. The data were analyzed based on the codes derived from the questionnaires and interviews. The findings showed that all the participants deemed the localization of forensic linguistics as quintessential in Iran and provided some suggestions for the areas in which this field of study can serve great purposes. The findings of this research can be suitable for those involved in language- and law-related research. Further research can be carried out on teaching, learning, assessment and materials development for forensic linguistics in the Iranian academic setting.