ABSTRACT
Documents feature prominently in the financial, legal, business, social, and personal affairs of most people. But is a document merely a sheet of paper bearing handwriting or computer-generated text? It is not, at least not as it relates to the science of forensic document examination. In the broadest sense, a document is any material containing marks, symbols, or signs that convey meaning or a message. While the great majority of documents are produced on paper either by electronic/mechanical means or by hand with pen or pencil, they can be produced with other instruments on a variety of surfaces. Writing in lipstick on a mirror; labels on CDs, packages, or boxes; graffiti on walls; and stamp impressions visible only under ultraviolet light are but a few examples of documents beyond the narrower definition. Among this diversity is a small group that comes to be referred to as questioned or disputed documents — those suspected of being fraudulent or whose source or history is disputed.
