Lesson 1

Definition of terms

1. Document – Any material which contains a mark, symbol, or signs, either visible or invisible,
that may presently or ultimately convey meaning to someone. (Some documents should be
placed in its prescribed form. By Albert Osborn)
2. Questioned Document – Any documents about which some issue has been raised or which is
under scrutiny is referred to as a questioned document/disputed document. A document that
has been questioned in whole or in parts, with respect to its authenticity, identity, origin, or the
relation among its parts and to other things.
3. Examination – is the act of making a close and critical study of any material and with
questioned documents is the process necessary to discover the facts about them. Various
types are undertaken, including microscopic visual, photographic chemical, ultraviolet and
infrared examinations.
4. Comparison – Is the act of setting two or more items side by side to weigh their identifying
qualities. It refers not only to a visual but also the mental act in which the elements of one item
are related to the counterparts of the other.
5. Fist off theory of comparison – The act of setting two or more signatures in an inverted position
to weigh their identifying significance, the reason being that those we fail to see under normal
comparison may readily be seen under this theory.
6. Ultraviolet examination – Ultraviolet radiation is invisible and occurs in the wavelengths just
below the visible blue violet end of the spectrum rainbow. These invisible rays react on some
substances so that visible light is reflected, a phenomenon known as fluorescence. Thus,
ultraviolet examination may be made visually or photographically by recording either the
reflected ultraviolet or visible radiation.
7. Opinion in legal language – The document examiner’s conclusion is known as an opinion.
Court he not only expresses an opinion but demonstrates the reason for arriving at this
opinion. Opinion and conclusion are used synonymous.
8. Copy book forms – The design of a letter which is fundamental to a writing system are referred
to as copy book forms. This terminology is derived from the old methods of teaching
handwriting from a copy book form which contained engraved script printed on each page for
the student to imitate.
9. Signature (by Webster) – Is one’s name written by himself on a document as a sign of
acknowledgement,
10. Simulated signature – A freehand drawing in imitating a model signature.
11. Model signature – A genuine signature which has been used to prepare an imitated or traced
forgery is known as the model.
12. Writing or handwriting – Is the visible effect of bodily movement which is an almost
unconscious expression of fixed muscular habits reacting from fixed mental impressions of
certain ideas associated with a script form. It is the visible record of the pen or paper. Writing is
the result of a very complicated series of acts being a combination of certain forms which are a
very visible result of mental and muscular habits acquired by long continued painstaking effort.
13. Standards of comparison – In questioned document examination we mean those writings
whose origin are known and can be proven, and which can be legally used as examples to
compare with other matters in question-usually a standard has the same meaning as is
understood by the word specimen of handwriting.
14. Forgery – Every person who, with intent to defraud, signs the name of another person, or of a
fictitious person knowing that has no authority to do so, or falsely makes alters forges or
counterfeits any check or any instrument payable to the bearer shall be guilty of forgery (RPC
Art. 161-176). As used in handwriting identification is the act of imitating or simulating
somebody’s signature by another without the permission of the former for profit.
15. System of writing – The combination of the basic design of letters and the writing movement
as taught in school. Writing through use diverges from the system, but generally retains some
influence of the basic training.
16. Significant writing habits – This term is applied to any characteristic or handwriting which is
sufficiently unique and well-fixed to serve as a fundamental point in the identification, class and
Individual.
17. Characteristic – Is any property or mark which distinguishes and in document examination
commonly refers to identifying details. There are two groups of characteristics,
18. Class characteristics – Not all characteristics encountered in document examination are
peculiar to a single person, or thing and one that is common to a group may be described as
class characteristics.
19. Individual characteristics – A characteristic which is highly personal or peculiar and unlikely to
occur in other instances.
20. Natural variation – Normal or usual deviations found between repeated specimens of any
individual’s handwriting or in the product of any typewriter or other record making machine.
21. Movement – Movement is important in handwriting. It embraces all of the factors which are
related to the motion of the writing instrument- skill, speed, freedom, hesitation, rhythm,
emphasis, tremor and the like. The manner, in which the writing instrument is moved, that is,
by finger, hand or arm action, may influence each of these factors.
22. Natural writing – Any specimen of writing executed normally without an attempt to control or
alter its identifying habits and its usual quality of execution. It is the typical writing of an
individual.
23. Writing condition – Both the circumstances under which the writing was prepared and the
factors influencing the writer’s ability to write at the time of execution. Circumstances pertaining
to preparation involve the writer’s position (sitting, standing, abed, etc.), the paper support and
backing, and the writing instrument; writing ability may be modified by the condition of the
writer’s health, nervous state, or degree of intoxication.
24. Wrong-handed writing – Any writing executed with the opposite hand from that normally used.
Some workers refer to this writing as “with the awkward hand” It is one means of disguise.
Thus, the writing of a right- handed person written with his left-hand accounts for the common
terminology for this class of disguise as “left-handed writing”.
25. Graphology – The art of attempting to interpret the character or personality of an individual
from his handwriting; also called grapho-analysis. Such an undertaking is beyond the realm of
the document examiner’s work.
26. Grapho-analysis – A form of graphology commonly practiced in the United States. It has no
relationship to handwriting identification.
27. Conclusion – A scientific conclusion results from relating observed facts by logical, common-
sense reasoning in accordance with the established rules or laws. The document examiner’s
conclusions are so derived. See opinion, the usual term.
28. Disputed document – A term suggesting that there is an argument or controversy over the
document, and strictly speaking this is its true meaning. In this module, as well as through prior
 usage, however, “disputed document” and “questioned document” are employed
interchangeably to signify a document that is under special scrutiny.
29. Holographic document – any document completely written and signed by one person: also
known as holograph. In several jurisdictions, a holographic will can be probated without
anyone having witnessed its execution.
30. Decipherment – The process of making out what is illegible or what has been effaced.
Decipherment refers to the process of reading or interpreting the erased or obliterated material
that is illegible without developing or restoring the original writing on the document itself.