Document Analysis Review
Do any two people have the same handwriting? Explain.
No they don't, no two people share more than 20 individual characteristics out of the 30 known.
What does an ascending baseline mean?
Optimism.
What is indicated if a person writes with average size?
People who write average sized have an average ability to concentrate. They have to force themselves to concentrate on minor details, especially for long periods of time.
What does a descending baseline mean?
Pessimism, tiredness, or depression.
How did you perform the chromatography labs?
Pieces of chromatography paper with the ink on it are placed in a beaker full of alcohol, the tip of the paper touches the alcohol and it soaks the paper (travels upward) the ink once the alcohol reaches it, starts to separate into the pigments that make it up.
What is a QD examiner?
Questioned Document examiner is someone who analyzes documents for alternations, forgery and, when example documents are available, they analyze handwriting or typing comparisons to determine or rule out authorship.
What is document reconstruction? When is it used? Why is it used?
Recovering and reconstructing destroyed evidence, it's used when evidence is destroyed.
What is the slant if a person is emotional, caring, warm, and their heart rules their head?
Right slant.
What depends on a person's ability to concentrate?
Size of a person's writing.
What would the handwriting look like if an individual can concentrate?
Small and neat.
What is a person like who writes using average pressure, wavy baseline, and average size?
The person has enough energy to handle daily activities, their emotional response is slightly inhibited, they can concentrate on daily activities without being distracted too much by what happens around them. Their mood is interchangeable, sometimes they're in a good mood and others a bad. Their head rules their heart, they try to control their emotions and have a certain amount of inner emotional turmoil.
What is a person like who writes using heavy pressure, a right slant, and only a slightly wavy baseline?
The person is friendly, outgoing , and has a lot of energy. They need variety and lots of activity, and they are reliable and dependable.
What does a square "r" indicate?
The person is very good with their hands.
What phrase has ALL the letters of the alphabet used in it for handwriting analysis?
The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog
What does is mean if a person writes small?
They are conservative and thrifty, and have the ability to concentrate on minor details for long periods of time. They are not easily distracted by outside forces and they like to work alone.
What can be inferred about someone who writes small?
They can be trusted to take on tedious tasks and follow them through to completion without being sidetracked.
Describe some examples of solvents for chromatography and how well they work.
Water, methanol, aminonium hydroxide, ethanol, acetone, and hydrochloric acid. For inks that are soluble, water would be the solvent of choice to use. For inks that are not soluble in water, the other solvents can be used.
When is a witness needed for handwriting analysis?
When someone is accused of writing or writing something.
Explain the meaning of the "t"s?
Where the horizontal "bar" is of the "t" is placed on the vertical "stem" indicates where one places their goals, while the height indicates the potential to accomplish those goals.
What letters are most commonly used to interpret handwriting samples?
t, g, h, r, e.
What does the term 'chromatography' mean?
"Color writing."
What is one way to determine what someone wrote on a piece of paper?
1. Hold it up to the light 2. Lightly pencil over it
What is the most significant shortcoming of handwriting analysis?
As a science it's subjective, its acceptance in the scientific community and the court has been shaky.
What does a level baseline mean?
A healthy balance between optimism and pessimism.
What is indicated about a person who writes with a straight baseline?
A person who writes with a straight baseline is tense and over disciplined.
What is indicated about a person who writes with a wavy baseline?
A person who writes with a wavy baseline is on an emotional roller coaster.
What are diacritics?
A sign which when written above or below a letter indicates a difference in pronunciation from the same letter when unmarked or marked differently. Such as how they cross their "t" or the dots on i's and j's. They're called dots and tittles.
What slant is most commonly used by the serial killers and why?
Left slant, writers with a left slant conceal their emotions and are observed as cold and indifferent.
What does; light, average, and heavy pressure mean?
Light: the writer tries to avoid energy draining situations. Average: the writer is moderately successful and usually has only enough energy to make through the day. Heavy: the writer has a lot of vitality and their emotional experience lasts for a long time.
What famous baseball player was almost a victim of forgery?
Mickey Mantel
What are the twelve characteristics for comparing handwriting?
1. Line Quality: Do the letters flow or are they written with very intent strokes? 2. Spacing of Words and Letters: What is the average space between words and letters? 3. Ratio of Height, Width, and Size of Letters: Are the letters consistent in height, width, and size? 4. Lifting Pen: Does the author lift his or her pen to stop writing a word and start a new word? 5. Connecting strokes: How are the capital letters connected to the lower-case letters? 6. Strokes to Begin and End: Where does the letter begin and end on a page? 7. Unusual Letter Formation: Are there any letters written with unusual slants or angles? Are there some letters printed rather than in cursive? 8. Pen pressure: How much pen pressure is applied on upward and downward strokes? 9. Slant: Do the letters slant to the left or to the right? If the slant is pronounced, a protractor may be used to determine the degree. 10. Baseline Habits: Does the author write on the line or does the writing go above or below the line? 11. Fancy Writing Habits: Are there any unusual curls or loops or unique styles? 12. Placement of Diacritics: How does the author cross the t's or dot the i's.
What are characteristics used for analysis or handwriting?
1. Outstanding traits 2. Slant 3. Baseline
What are three factors for chromatography?
1. Solvent 2. Ink 3. Paper
What does black ink contain as far as pigments?
Blue, yellow, black, purple, red, etc.
What are three common items that can be forged?
Checks, money, and Identities.
What is chromatography?
Chromatography is a method of physically separating the components of ink.
When was the secret service created and why?
Created in 1865, it was created to combat counterfeiting.
Be able to describe the lab activities that were performed on document analysis.
Document reconstruction: Reconstructing paper evidence back together so that what is written is legible. Paper Chromatography: Paper with pen mark is placed (barely the tip) in alcohol, it soaks up and the pigments in the ink separate on the paper.
What do different baselines tell about a writer?
Emotional control and reliability
What can the pressure of a writing sample tell us?
Emotional energy- physical and mental energy level.
What is the 'name' of the computerized handwriting analysis system?
FISH- Forensic Information System for Handwriting.
What is the technical name for handwriting analysis?
Graphology
What letter has the largest number of interpretations?
T
What amendment is not violated with handwriting analysis and forgery?
The 5th amendment
Why is the case, 'lost' Hitler Diaries from the 1980's considered a major shortcoming of handwriting analysis?
The analysts compared the forged documents to examples forged by the same man created the documents.
What is forgery?
The illegal act of reproducing someone's signature without his or her permission, and is also items prepared with the intent to deceive.
What can be inferred about a person who writes with average size?
They have trouble concentrating for long periods of time and are easily distracted; they tend to easily get "off-track." At work, they should be given varying duties and assignments that are quick to complete.
What happens when someone tries to write small?
They're entire body will become tense as they concentrate on writing the small letters.
