This paper discusses how forensic linguistics, language and law, and cyberviolence are positioned in the world's largest research funding programme, Horizon Europe. This paper discusses how the European Union values these topics in research and innovation. This topic is highly relevant with the recent launch of the programme. Through language, people do things, influence others, and shape societies (Jones, 2012). With this discourse analytical approach, this paper studies the language used to communicate the European Union's values, goals, and expectations in the context of research funding. This paper examines mentions of forensic linguistics, language and law, and cyberviolence, closely analysing the language used, while also situating the topics into wider contexts and Discourses. In this paper, the value of interdisciplinary research in these topics is highlighted as well, as the work programmes emphasise notions such as the integration of social sciences and humanities into all actions (Puputti, 2022).
In the reference documents, cyberviolence is discussed among other societal challenges. This paper analyses how the documents position and describe research relating to cybersecurity. The reference documents also discuss the importance of research that improves understanding of organizational cultures and of human interactions in the forensic context, for example through the creation of a common lexicon (European Commission, 2021, p. 56). This issue relates to the strengthening of the investigative process and improved communication. As the text states, "communication between practitioners within the same institute can introduce a bias as well. When exchanging the information cross-border, both organisational cultures and languages can also cause a bias" (2021, p. 55). The text further describes that "a critical enabler for an improved collaboration and communication between forensic practitioners is the use of a clear, consistent vocabulary" (p. 56). This paper closely analyzes how these topics are discussed, described, and positioned in Horizon Europe. In addition to forensic linguistics and cyberviolence, language and law are featured across topics and work programmes, and this paper examines the contexts in which they are discussed and how they are positioned. This paper contributes to the fields of cybersecurity and forensic and legal linguistics, while also providing crucial insight for researchers studying talk and interaction, communication, and institutional and organizational discourse.
References:
European Commission. (2021). Horizon Europe Work Programme 2021-2022 6. Civil Security for Society (European Commission Decision C(2021)4200 of 15 June 2021). Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wpcall/2021-2022/wp-6-civil-security-for-society_horizon-2021-2022_en.pdf Accessed July 9, 2022.
Jones, R. (2012). Discourse analysis: A resource book for students. Routledge.
Puputti, H. (2022). Positioning social sciences and humanities actors in the ninth European Union Framework Programme: a discourse analysis of Horizon Europe reference documents. [Master's thesis, University of Oulu]. Jultika http://jultika.oulu.fi/Record/nbnfioulu-202204191603
