Document Examination

Question 1

What is authorship validation?

Answer 1

Determines an unknown author

Question 2

What is origin certification?

Answer 2

Assesss history and origin of a document, such as determining the date when a document was written

Question 3

What is a questioned document?

Answer 3

A document where the authorship and/or origin are disputed

Question 4

What are known handwriting samples called?

Answer 4

Standards

Question 5

How is authorship validated?

Answer 5

• questioned document is compared with standards
• where authorship is suspected, standards are drawn from a series of suspects
• comparison between questioned documents and standards assess features such as writing style, writing size, writing implement used, paper type and text content

Question 6

What are the standards collection guidelines? (6)

Answer 6

1. Contemporaneous samples
2. Ensuring each writing sample is placed on a seperate sheet of paper
3. Requesting multiple replications of samples
4. Guaranteeing suspect’s ID
5. Signed authentication by suspect of each sample
6. The questioned document should never be shown to the suspect

Question 7

What factors affect handwriting characteristics?

Answer 7

• environmental conditions

- state of the author

Question 8

What are the outcomes of comparison?

Answer 8

• identified: definitive opinion, highly probably, probable, possible
• inconclusive
• excluded

Question 9

All conclusions are ……….

Answer 9

Opinion based

Question 10

What are latent impressions?

Answer 10

• accidental markings and indented writing on an underlying document
• eg writing on a top sheet of paper will leave impressions on the bottom sheet due to applied pressure

Question 11

Oblique Light Photography

Answer 11

• carried out in a dark room
• reveals impressions by the shadows they cast
• disadvantages: process can take hours, requires a high level of expertise and is generally ineffective in the detection of microscopic indentations

Question 12

Electrostatic Detection Analysis (ESDA)

Answer 12

• specialist machine
• more commonly used
• visualises the impressions on secondary document
• advantages: process completed in a few minutes, easy to use, process highly sensitive to microscopic indentations

Question 13

ESDA process

Answer 13

1. Document placed a brass plate
2. Mylar film applied over document
3. Electrical charge applied
4. Black, negatively charged toner applied.
5. Black toner adheres to impression areas as these are positively charged
6. Impressions visualised in black toner on Mylar film
7. Questioned document is unchanged

Question 14

What is document handling protocol?

Answer 14

• document should be handled with care: folds, creases or indentations produced after collection will be visualised following ESDA
• handlers should wear gloves at all times
• a record copy should be made
• must control for humidity
• regular calibration of ESDA equipment
• documents should be placed in clear protectors and examined through the protectors

Question 15

What is the basis of handwriting analysis?

Answer 15

• the handwriting of all individuals is unique

- certain characteristics are repeated in every example of writing

Question 16

What are they characteristics present in every sample of writing of one person?

Answer 16

• arrangement
• connections
• height, width and dimension ratio
• slant
• spacing
• embellishments
• speed
• movement
• pressure

Question 17

What is not a tool of the trade for all areas of document examination?

Answer 17

Electrostatic Detection Device