Home > Questioned document examination
Questioned document examination is known by many names including forensic document examination, document examination, handwriting examination, and sometime handwriting analysis, although that name is not considered appropriate since it might be confused with graphology. Likewise a document examiner is not to be confused with a graphologist, and vice versa. The questioned document division of a crime lab is sometimes referred to as "QD" on the TV show CSI.The task of document examination is to compare a questioned document, using the scientific method, to a series of known standards; personality traits cannot be delineated from handwriting with any accuracy. The document in question may be one of many types as is outlined below, and it is the task of the examiner to determine if questioned item originated from the same source as the known item(s), then present an opinion in court as an expert witness.
1 Scope of document examination
A document examiner is intimately linked to the legal system as a forensic scientist. The term " forensic" represents the word " legal", thus forensics is the body of science that is concerned with searching for the truth within the legal system.
In Canada, the charges involved in a document examination case might be forgery (includes counterfeiting), fraud, or uttering a forged document.
As such, the document examiner deals with items that form part of a case that may or may not come before a court of law. The many types of possible examinations are as follows:
- Handwriting ( cursive / printingPrinting is an industrial process for reproducing copies of texts and images, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is an important part of publishing. Printing using a printing press dates back to the 15th century in Europe (invented by) and SignatureFor signatures on Wikipedia see Sign your posts on talk pages. In mathematics, see signature (mathematics). A signature is a usually stylized version of someone's name written on documents as a proof of identity, like a seal, but handwritten. Signatures ms
- Typewriter1910, could not have seen characters as they were typed. A typewriter is a mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic device with a set of "keys" that, when pressed, cause characters to be printed on a document, usually paper. In the late 19th and the ss, Photocopiers, Laser printerA laser printer is a common type of computer printer that produces good quality printing, and is able to produce graphics. The process is very similar to the type of dry process photocopier first produced by Xerox. Indeed, the first laser printer was creas, Fax machines
- Chequewriters, Rubber stamps, Price marker s, Label maker s
- Printing Process es
- Ink, Pencil, Paper
- Alterations, additions, erasures, obliterations
- Indentations
- Sequence of Strokes
- Physical Matching
2 Historical cases
