Abstract
Forensic analysis of questioned documents includes chemical analyses of paper and ink as well as handwriting comparisons. Several elements affect handwriting analyses, including the presence of discriminatory factors that can individualize a handwriting sample and whether the handwriting has been disguised. Five handwriting samples were gathered from six individuals comprising of one reference, three natural unknowns, and one disguised sample per person. A novice conducted analyses on every collected sample and conducted comparisons of the reference sample to the unknown and disguised samples in an attempt to correctly source the unknown and disguised samples. The novice showed a high level of accuracy in correctly sourcing the natural sample but made erroneous conclusions when analyzing the disguised samples.
Recommended Citation
Lister, Maia
(2019)
"Novice Ideas: Handwriting Comparisons Conducted by an Untrained Individual,"
Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science: Vol. 7
:
Iss.
1
, Article 2.
https://doi.org/10.31979/THEMIS.2019.0702
https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/themis/vol7/iss1/2
Included in
Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons, Forensic Science and Technology Commons, Science and Technology Studies Commons
