Technology & Digital Tools Flashcards

A forensic handwriting examiner wants to document a questioned document's chain of custody in digital form. Which practice is most appropriate?

Answer: Using a hash value (MD5 or SHA-256) to verify the digital file has not been altered since capture

Cryptographic hash values create a verifiable fingerprint of a digital file, proving it has not been modified since its creation.

Which imaging modality allows a questioned document examiner to reveal writing that has been covered with correction fluid (white-out)?

Answer: Transmitted light (backlighting) combined with infrared imaging

Infrared imaging can penetrate correction fluid while transmitted light from below helps reveal the underlying strokes through contrast.

A CHA is presented with a will written on a tablet using a stylus. What unique digital artifact may be available that would not exist for a handwritten paper document?

Answer: Stroke timestamp metadata and velocity data recorded by the device

Digital input devices record time-series data for each stroke including velocity, acceleration, pressure, and timestamps, providing dynamic authentication features unavailable in static paper documents.

In handwriting analysis software, the term 'slant angle quantification' refers to:

Answer: Calculating the numerical degree of forward or backward lean in letter strokes relative to the baseline

Slant angle quantification converts the subjective observation of letter lean into an objective numerical measurement for consistent comparison across samples.

What does UV (ultraviolet) light examination primarily reveal in questioned document analysis?

Answer: Fluorescence differences between inks, paper patches, erasures, and security features

UV light causes different materials to fluoresce at different intensities, revealing paper repairs, ink differences, and security features invisible under white light.

A CHA working with a court case needs to produce a demonstrative exhibit showing a side-by-side comparison. Which digital tool feature is most important for courtroom admissibility?

Answer: Annotated, non-destructive markup on a copy that preserves the unaltered original file

Non-destructive annotation on a copy ensures the original unaltered evidence file is preserved while the demonstrative exhibit remains clearly labeled as annotated.

Which of the following best describes the limitation of AI-based handwriting recognition systems (like OCR engines) for forensic handwriting comparison?

Answer: They are optimized to decode legible text content, not to examine and compare individual handwriting characteristics for authorship

OCR systems are designed to convert handwriting to text, whereas forensic comparison requires detailed analysis of individual idiosyncratic traits that OCR systems discard as noise.