Stylometric Analysis of the Sherlock Holmes Canon

I have put together a technical paper regarding my stylometric method for author identification. I provided a summary of results from that method in Shadow Woman. In the technical paper, I get into the gory details of the method and I provide an example calculation, thus providing all the information necessary to anyone who wishes to recreate my work and challenge my results.

Also included in the paper are two separate accuracy analyses, each indicating an author prediction accuracy of 97% or greater.

Also included in the paper a twelve appendices, the last of which provides the calculated author for each of the Sherlock Holmes adventures. I’ll prove a quick summary for those not wanting to read the entire paper, or even scan to the bottom for the final appendix.

Here we go.

Louise and Arthur co-wrote the Sherlock Holmes portion of the first Sherlock Holmes Adventure, A Study in Scarlet. Arthur wrote the Utah narrative of that novel.

Louise wrote each of every other early Holmes adventure, up to and including The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Louise wrote two of the intermediate stories, those collected in The Return of Sherlock Holmes. Arthur wrote two of those intermediate stories.

Jean wrote the remainder of the Sherlock Holmes adventures.

Navigate to the Authorship page of this website for a link to the paper, or simply click here: Stylometric Analysis of the Sherlock Holmes Canon.