Helpful Information
Document Examiner Selection
What makes a document examiner competent? Although there is no college degree or major in forensic document examination, most of the recognized regional and national forensic science organizations require a Baccalaureate degree as a condition of membership.  On-the-job specialized training is the only way to acquire experience and proficiency.  A legitimate apprenticeship-training program is necessary.

The American Board of Forensic Document Examiners (ABFDE) is the certifying board sponsored and recognized by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners.  The ABFDE has established the following minimum qualifications for its certification:

• Baccalaureate degree
• Full-time training program in a recognized forensic laboratory
• Two years of additional independent document work
• Full-time practice of forensic document examination

Do not confuse Graphologists with Forensic Document Examiners.  Graphology helps to predict character traits from handwriting examination, whereas forensic document examination helps to analyze and compare questioned documents with known material so as to identify the author or origin of the questioned document.

Additional information is available at the following links:

Links to external resources
Authentication of medical records

Comparison Specimens
Forensic documentation examiners depend on comparison specimens in the form of collected or requested samples in order to determine the author of the disputed document.

Sometimes, the submitted handwriting, printing or signature specimens are inappropriate, of poor quality or of insufficient quantity – all of which limit the scope of analysis and affect the strength of the conclusion rendered.

The following is a detailed section on comparison specimens.    Collected handwriting specimens are produced in the course of daily living and can be obtained from business, correspondences or personal files.  Some important factors to consider when collecting samples are:

• The execution quality and style are different in signatures and extended writings.
• Signatures are carefully written on formal occasions, e.g. when signing a mortgage, and casually executed in less formal circumstances, e.g. signing a time sheet.
• It is also important to consider the conditions under which the documents were signed.
• It is common to sign a courier receipt while standing.  When such a specimen is to be compared, it is necessary to analyze other samples that were executed in an awkward position.
• The type of writing instrument used to prepare the questioned document needs to be considered.  For example, felt marker specimens should be compared with other felt marker writing.
• The position and layout of the collected specimen bring out some variables not found in the natural variation of a person’s writing on standard documents.  For example, cramped signatures found on the back of a credit card should be compared to other samples, like receipts, that limit the size of the signature.
• The date or timeframe of the specimen is another factor to be considered.  A person’s writing changes to varying degrees over time.  Specimens executed well before or after the date of the document in question may not have enough similarity for comparison purposes.
• The physical condition of an individual, e.g. old age and illness, also has dramatic effects on his/her writing.  The writing tends to be of poor quality and often limited in quantity.  Other unusual conditions, like signing in bed or while under heavy medication, further complicate the examination.

Ten to 20 signature specimens are sufficient to reflect a writer’s natural variation.