U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

OBTAINING DOCUMENT STANDARDS FOR COMPARISON

NCJ Number
35920
Journal
POLICE LAW QUARTERLY Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Dated: (JULY 1976) Pages: 31-38
Author(s)
D J PURTELL
Date Published
1976
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THIS BRIEF PAPER EXAMINES THE KINDS OF SPECIMENS WHICH MUST BE COLLECTED FOR A PROPER QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EXAMINATION AND DESCRIBES SEVERAL METHODS OF COLLECTING THESE WRITING OR PRINTING SAMPLES.
Abstract
FOR QUESTIONED DOCUMENT ANALYSIS, THE STANDARDS COLLECTED MUST SHOW: 1. THE FULL RANGE OF THE MANNER IN WHICH THE SUSPECT WRITES OR PRINTS, WHICHEVER THE CASE INVOLVES. 2. THE WRITER'S BASIC WRITING OR PRINTING HABITS. 3. HIS OR HER ABILITY AS A PENMAN, 4. HIS OR HER USUAL AS WELL AS UNUSUAL WRITING OR PRINTING HABITS, AND 5. THE RANGE OF COMMON VARIATION THE WRITER USES. SEVERAL METHODS OF COLLECTING STANDARDS ARE NOTED. AMONG THESE ARE: USE OF STANDARD FORMS SUCH AS APPLICATIONS AND RECEIPTS; USE OF A STANDARD HANDWRITING COLLECTION FORM; AND DICTATING OF MATERIAL USING WORDS AND PHRASES FROM THE QUESTIONED MESSAGE. METHODS OF OBTAINING TYPEWRITTEN EXEMPLARS ARE ALSO NOTED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)