Laboratory Manual in Questioned Documents Examination – Second Edition

Questioned document examination (QDE) is known by many names including forensic document examination, document examination, diplomatic, handwriting examination, and sometimes handwriting analysis, although the latter name is not often used as it may be confused with graphology. Likewise a forensic 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” in popular media. The course covers the scientific methods of identification and examination of questionable documents, handwriting examination, detection of forgery, falsification and counterfeiting of documents which stress the procedures of restoring and deciphering erasures and obliterations; examination of documents by means of visible light, ultra-violet and ultra-red radiation and colored powders; recognition and selection of standards; and examination of questionable typewriting, computerized documents and other forms of modern printing. The task of forensic document examination is to answer questions about a disputed document using a variety of scientific processes and methods. Many examinations involve a comparison of the questioned document, or components of the document, to a set of known standards. The most common type of examination involves handwriting wherein the examiner tries to address concerns about potential authorship.