OVERVIEW OF

QUESTIONED
DOCUMENT
EXAMINATION
GROUP II

ANICETE, EUREKA BIANCA

LIMTO, JEKYLLE M.
HISTORY OF FORENSIC QUESTIONED
DOCUMENT EXAMINATIONS

The time of Titus and Anthony

First time used in third century in

Rome where it becomes common
to make fraudulent official
documents

Jurists established protocols for

the determination of forgery and
the manner in which forgeries
were to be detected
Sixth Century
The Justinian
Code
Established further guidelines for the using of
handwriting comparisons in the courts. A judge
could use his discretion request persons with
special l in writing to perform an examination of
questioned writing and give testimony as the the
authenticity of the questioned text.
 Albert Sherman
Osborn
• Father of Questioned Document
examination
• Responsible for the use of
documents as scientific evidence
• The first American prominent in
the field of forgery detection
• Founder of the American
Society of Questioned
Documents
American Society of Questioned Document
Examiners

is the world's oldest society

dedicated to the forensic science
of questioned document
examination with 144 members
worldwide.

The society publishes the Journal

of the American Society of
Questioned Document Examiners
twice a year.
 Documents

Originated from the Latin documentum, which

denotes a "teaching" or "lesson": the verb doceō
denotes "to teach”.
is a written, drawn, presented, or memorialized
representation of thought.
HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF
DOCUMENTS

documents were inscribed with ink on papyrus,

scratched as runes or carved on stone using a
sharp tool
 CLASSES OF QUESTIONED
DOCUMENTS

Documents with questioned signatures

- such as deed of sale, wills, checks, contracts, receipts, etc.

Documents containing alleged fraudulent alterations

-whether or not there is a disturbance in the order and sequence of writing

Holographic Documents questioned or disputed

- the writing of an entire written document is all questioned. A document
completely written, prepared, and signed by the person himself without the assistance of
any person even a lawyer
 Documents attacked on the question of materials used in
their production

Documents are questioned as to their typewriting

- type written documents which are questioned for the purpose of determining their source
and their date

Documents or writings investigated because it is alleged that

they identify some person through handwriting

Genuine document erroneously or fraudulently attack

- writing which was executed in an abnormal writing condition such as over fatigue, old
age, stress, ill, in moving vehicle and the likes which may affect the normal manner of writing
 What is writing?

Writing is a codified system of standard symbols:

the repetition of agreed-upon simple shapes to
represent ideas.
The development of writing allowed cultures to
record events, history, laws; theories in math,
science, medicine; create literature and more.
 The history of writing

Simple pictographs were used to represent

people, places and things. As the needs for
communication expanded, different pictographs
were combined to represent ideas, and required
knowledge to interpret the new symbols. These
became ideographs: abstract symbols that evolved
beyond the original drawings.
Summerians Egyptians Phoenician
3500 B.C 2400 BC Alphabet
1500 BC
 Development of
Handwritings
Children learn writing by following the school copy or model
after acquiring some degree of skill, the children are no longer
follow the school needed
As speed increases, conscious design and regularity begin to
break down
In the course of trial and error, modifications are made
simplifications and elaborations, additions and omissions occur
 Writing System
A writing system is a system of symbols that are used to
represent language.

Kinds of writing system: Logographic, syllabic, alphabetic

 Logographic system
word writing system in which each symbol represents a
morpheme or word
Syllabary System
Symbols may represent syllables

Words are written syllable by syllable

 Alphabet System
Typically, each symbol represents a sound primarily phonemic

symbols represents consonants and/or vowels

 Reasons why Conduct
QDE/Analysis
Questioned document examiners frequently are called upon to
analyse a single sheet or multiple sheets of paper upon which there are
markings, handwritings, printings and/or graphics.
It involves P.I. of questioned paper document that involves testing the
colour, thickness, weight, weave pattern and finer analysis for
determining the source of the paper.
It is important to conduct QDE/Analysis in order to identify the
nature and source of the writing or printing
This process typically culminated in the presentation of gathered
evidence at preliminary hearings, pre- trial depositions, or in a
courtroom
 Legal Aspects of Forensic
Document Examination

Legal Aspects of Forensic Document

Examination explores the standards and legal
rulings that affect the forensic document
examiner as an expert witness. The concept of
general acceptance of methodologies for
performing forensic document examination are
presented.
Definition and Significant
Terms
Alteration − A modification made to a document by physical, chemical or mechanical means.
Collected Known Specimens/Standards − Documents created in the normal course of a person’s
business activities or daily living. These typically reflect the true writing habits of the individual.
Contemporaneous Writing − Material that is written around the same time period as the document in
question.
Cursive − A type of smooth, flowing handwriting where letters within a word are joined. This is produced
when the writing instrument is not lifted after most strokes.
Disguised Writing − Deliberately altered writing intended to conceal the identity of the writer by
attempting to change his or her writing habits.
Distorted Writing − Writing that appears not naturally executed, either as a result of voluntary effort
such as in disguised writing, or as a result of involuntary factors such as physical illness or writing surface.
Document − Any material that contains marks, symbols, or signs—visible, partially visible, or invisible—that
may convey a meaning or message.
Electrostatic Detection Device (EDD) − The generic term for equipment that uses electrostatic charge to
visualize writing impressions such as indentations and erasures. The electrostatic detection apparatus or "ESDA"
is the most commonly used device of this type for document examinations.
Forensic Document Examiner (FDE) − One who studies the details and elements of documents in order to
identify their source or determine their authenticity. Also known as an “FDE” or “document examiner”.
Handwriting Identification − The attempt to verify a person’s handwriting by comparing a document in
question to a known handwriting sample. This term is preferred over “handwriting analysis” which usually refers to
those who attempt to determine the character traits of a person by examining handwriting samples.
Indented Impressions − The depressed area on the surface of a document that was created by the pressure
of writing or a mechanical means of printing.
Individualizing Characteristic − Any mark commonly produced during the creation of a document that helps
to identify its source.
Natural Writing − Writing executed in a habitual manner, without an attempt to control or alter its characteristics.
Obliterations − Any area of a document that has been purposely covered, usually by other writing, to attempt to
mask the markings that lay underneath.
Questioned Document − A document, usually related to matters involving criminal or civil litigation, in which the
originality, authenticity or background is disputed.
Request Exemplars or Requested Known Specimens/Standards −
Writing specimens created by an individual at the request of an investigator. These are
typically created by having the investigator dictate the text to the subject. Creation of
exemplars is conducted under tightly controlled, monitored conditions.

Significant Difference − An individualizing characteristic that is consistently

divergent between questioned and known items.

Significant Similarity − An individualizing characteristic that is common between

questioned and known items.

Video Spectral Comparator (VSC) − A digital imaging instrument manufactured

by Foster + Freeman that employs combinations of light sources and filters to examine
document evidence under various wavelengths of radiation ranging from ultraviolet to the
infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. This device is typically used to
discriminate between different inks and reveal alterations or obliterations, visualize
security features in papers, and examine characteristics such as watermarks and fiber
disturbances using transmitted, direct, or oblique light.