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Southern Mindanao Institute of Technology, Inc.

Brgy. Buenaflor, National Highway, Tacurong City

Criminology Department

(A.Y. 2020-2021)

MODULE FOR
QUESTIONED DOCUMENT
EXAMINATION

DATE: AUGUST 24, 2020

PREPARED BY:

Mark Jayson P. Muyco

Instructor
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PREFACE

This module wishes to provide essential and vital knowledge and information regarding questioned
documents examination, in relation to the course bachelor of science in criminology. In accordance to
CHED Memorandum Order No. 5 series of 2018, this reading material is within the bounds of the said
CMO.

This module is prepared and made to totally understand the basic principle in questioned document
examination. The topics were also comprise of different textbooks, handouts and reading materials
regarding questioned documents examination in relation to R.A. 11131 or an act regulating the practice
of criminology profession in the Philippines, and appropriating funds therefor, repealing for the purpose
of R.A. 6506 otherwise known as “an act creating the board of examiners for criminologist in the
Philippines”.

This material is especially designed for criminology students for them to easily understand the essential
and basic matters regarding the kinds and elements of documents, as well as elements of documents.
However, students were highly encouraged to read and research further about this subject matter to
fully enhance their knowledge.
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PROTOCOL
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

FRONTPAGE --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1

PREFACE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2

PROTOCOL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4

LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE ------------------------------------------------------------------ 5

LESSON 2: HISTORY OF DOCUMENTS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF DOCUMENTS------------------------- 5

LESSON 3: PERSONALITIES IN QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS ------------------------------------------------- 6

LESSON 4: KEY TERMS IN QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS EXAMINATION ------------------------------------ 7

LESSON 5: KINDS OF DOCUMENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9

LESSON 6: CLASSES OF QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS ---------------------------------------------------------- 9

LESSON 7: ELEMENTS OF DOCUMENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10

REFERENCES --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13
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CHAPTER 1

LESSON 1

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the topic the student shall be able to:

 Acquire general knowledge about the course work, requirements, instructor and grading
system.
 Know and understand clearly the application of Google Classroom.
 Introduce the subject

INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE

 Introduction of instructor and students

 Class policies
 Grading system
 Requirements
 Teaching-Learning Strategies (online and modular)

Lesson 2

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the lesson the student shall be able to:

 Learn the history of documents

 Discuss the history of documents
 Discuss the importance of documents

HISTORY OF DOCUMENTS

From very earliest time, mas has put down marks on different materials to make forms of
writing were simple writings on the walls of the caves. Man soon found he could not express all of his
thoughts by means of pictures, so systems of writings were developed. Early writings were on stones
and metals. Later skins of animals were used. Papers first invented by the Chinese more than 20,000
years ago, but it was not common in other countries for a long time. With the making of paper, writing
became known to many people. Criminalistics were quick to learn that it was profitable to make false
documents. Knowledge of the methods of making false document is therefore necessary to the police
investigator. The examination of questioned document falls into broad classes.

THE IMPORTANCE OF DOCUMENTS

Documents record man’s life. Officially, his birth certificate signal’s man’s existence on earth.
Corollary, thereto, his death certificate writes finish to his stay on earth. However, it is not uncommon,
to note documents other than this two indicating man’s birth and death. Long before a child’s birth, we
may find an intimate note between Mr. and Mrs. De la Cruz planning to name the first born son as a
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“Junior or say Marikit”. The memo from Mrs. Cruz she had started conceiving her subsequent pre natal
check up with the doctor; the hospital’s certification of the delivery of a boy or girls De la Cruz, all these
proceeds the issuance of birth certificate, yet are poignant examples of the finds or man’s repose. The
last will and testament, the obituary, the tombstone, with the inscriptions epitaphs, all those are
documents testifying to his death.

Man’s life does not center alone on his birth or on his death. The intervening period opens for us
more documents, remains of them. Take the doctors notes on mother’s postnatal visits with the child,
the first inoculation, subsequent ones with the reams of papers; notebooks, book report, cards, excuse
slips, followed by an array of diplomas from kindergarten, primary, elementary, high school, college and
perhaps post graduate courses. While studying, the more serious love notes and not too far behind the
better proposing marriage and finally the inking of the marriage bond via the marriage contract and
certificate. This brings us back to where we started. The conception, pre natal visits, and birth of a new
generation.

Again, life is not all schooling nor marriage. Man must find work to feed his family. Thus, we find
him filling up applications for employment. He is accepted by a company, swears him in and he receives
his appointment papers. At the end of every week or every fifteenth and thirtieth of the month, man
signs the payroll and receives his paycheck or cash as the case maybe. The longer he stays the more
payrolls and pay checks. He goes up the ladder of success and the more papers and documents he
encounters. His membership in the Lions or Jaycees of the Kiwanis or the Knights of Columbos or the
Freemasonry must be accomplished. He must sign this and the communication paper. As he grows
older, he comes across his retirement papers and receives his pension checks. As the shadows of life
finally set upon man, the final document testifying to his demises is the death certificate. These, in a
nutshell amplify the importance of documents in man’s life.

Lesson 3

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the lesson the student shall be able to:

 Identify the different personalities in questioned document examination

 Discuss the contribution of each personalities to the development of questioned document
examination

PERSONALITIES IN QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS EXAMINATION

1. Albert Sherman Osborn – He was considered as the “THE FATHER OF SCIENTIFIC EXAMINATION
OF QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS”. The first American prominent in the field of forgery detection,
and author of the seminal “QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS” (1910, reprinted many times), an
exhaustive work indispensable even today. By his efforts, court began to accept the
presentation of forged documents as scientific evidence. He founded the American Society of
Questioned Document Examiners in September 2, 1942.
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2. Albert D. Osborn – He was the son of the founding president of ASQDE, Albert S. Osborn, and
was associated with his father in in private practice for many years. He was one of the eight (8)
document examiner who testified for the prosecution in the case against Bruno Hauptmann in
the kidnapping/murder of the Lindbergh baby. He was also the co-author of the book
Questioned Document Problems with his father. He was also the author of many professional
papers.
3. B. J. Vreeland Haring and J. Howard Haring – The father and son Haring of New York were the
world famous handwriting experts who testified on Charles A. Lindberg Jr. kidnapping case. The
defendant to the case was Bruno Richard Hauptmann in Flemington, New Jersey in 1935.
Fourteen (14) letters were directed to the famous parents of the Lindberg Baby was abducted.
The other letters contained follow-up ransom demands and instructions.
4. J. Newton Baker – a Consultative expert in disputed document and in 1955 he authored the
book, “Law of Disputed and Forged Documents”.
5. Hans Scheickert – A doctor of law and director of the identification Bureau of the Police
Department of Berlin until 1928. He was a Criminology Professor at the University of Berlin in
1920 and a well-known handwriting expert.
6. Dr. Wilson R. Harrison – was the Director of the British Government’s office the Forensic
Science Society of Questioned Document Examiners. He authored the book “Suspects
Document Examiners Their Scientific Examination”, first published in London in 1958. He had
over twenty year experience in the examination of suspect document for the police forces of
England and Wale and for many government departments.
7. Roy A. Huber – in 1999, he published the book entitled “Handwriting Identification – Facts and
Fundamentals”, which has become an important text in the training of forensic documents
expert.

LESSON 4

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the lesson the student shall be able to:

 Identify the different terms used in questioned documents examination.

 Discuss the different terms in questioned documents examination.

KEY TERMS IN QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS EXAMINATION

Key Terms

 DOCUMENTS
- Any material that contains marks, symbols, or sign either visible, partially visible, or invincible
that may ultimately convey a meaning or message to someone.
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- The term “document” applies to writings; to words printed, lithographed, or photographed; to

maps or plans; to seals, plates or even stones on which inscriptions are cut or engraved.
- Document came from the latin word “DOCUMENTUM” means “lesson or example”
- Also, from the French word “docere” means to teach.
 QUESTIONED DOCUMENT
- Any document which some issue has been raised or that is under scrutiny. These are less violent,
more subtle-tools and products of crime.
 DISPUTED DOCUMENT
- A term suggesting that there is an argument or controversy over the document, and strictly
speaking, this is its true meaning.
 HOLOGRAPH DOCUMENTS
- Any documents completely written and signed by one person; also known as holograph.
 STANDARD DOCUMENTS
- Are condensed and compact set of authentic specimens which, if adequate and proper, should
contain a cross section of the material from a known source.
 EXEMPLAR
- A term used by some document examiners and attorneys to characterize known material.
 REFERENCE COLLECTION
- Material compiled and organized by the document examiner to assist him in answering special
questions. Reference collections of typewriting, check writing specimens, inks, pens, and papers
are frequently maintained.
 GRAPHOLOGY
- The act of attempting to interpret the character or personality of an individual from his
handwriting.
 PALEOGRAPHY
- It is the study of early writings, old or ancient scripts. It also focuses on writings done on papyrus
parchment vellum and etc.

 CACOGRAPHY
- Characterized as bad writing.
 CALLIGRAPHY
- Is the art of beautiful writing
 CALCOGRAHPY
- Art of drawing with colored chalks or pastels
 AMBIDEXTROUS
- Ability to write with both left and right hand.
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Lesson 5

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the lesson the student should be able to:

 Know the different kinds of document

 Explain and discuss the different kinds of documents

KINDS OF DOCUMENTS

1. Public Document – notarized by a notary public or competent public official with solemnities
required by law.
2. Official Document – issued by the government or its agents or its offices having the authority to
do so and the offices, which in accordance with their creation, they are authorized to issue and
be issued in the performance of their duties.
3. Private Document – executed by a private person without the intervention of a notary public or
of any person legally authorized, by which documents, some disposition or agreement is proved,
evidenced or set forth.
4. Commercial Document – executed in accordance with the code of commerce or any Mercantile
Law, containing disposition of commercial rights or obligations.
5. Electronic Document – exist only in electronic form such as data stored on a computer,
network, back-up, archive, or other storage media.

Lesson 6

OBJECTIVES: At the end of the lesson the student should be able to:

 Identify the classes of questioned documents

 Analyze and discuss the classes of questioned documents

CLASSES OF QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS

1. Documents with questioned signatures.

2. Questioned documents alleged to have been containing fraudulent alterations.
3. Questioned or disputed holographic wills.
a. Holographic Will – will entirely written in the handwriting of the testator.
b. Notarial Will – signed by the testator acknowledge before a notary public with 3
witnesses.
4. Documents investigated on the question of typewriting.
a. With a view of ascertaining their source
b. With a view of ascertaining their date
c. With a view of determining whether or not they contain fraudulent alterations or
substituted pages.
5. Questioned documents on issues of their age or date.
6. Questioned documents on issues of materials used in their production.
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7. Documents or writings investigated because it is alleged that they identify some persons
through handwriting.
a. Anonymous and disputed letters, and
b. Superscriptions, registrations and miscellaneous writings.

Lesson 7

Objective: At the end of the lesson the student should be able to:

 Identify the different elements of documents and its distinguished type.

 Discuss the different elements of documents and its distinguished type.

ELEMENTS OF DOCUMENTS

1. Paper – originated from the word “papyrus”. In 1980, straw was used as paper. It is of common
knowledge and belief that paper was invented by the Chinese more than 2,000 years ago.
-a material manufactured in thin sheets from the pulp of wood or other fibrous
substances used for writing or drawing.
Papyrus- a writing material prepared in ancient Egypt from the stems of papyrus plant.

Examples of paper to which writing are placed:

- Writing paper pads (common paper)

- Carbon paper, heavily coated with waxy layer which hold sufficient.
- Coloring matter to give clearly defined transferred impression in use
- Safety paper, paper which have been treated in such a way as to minimize the chances of a
successful forgery by erasure.
- Bond papers, commonly used in typing and writing documents; and
- Stationaries, colored and perfumed, commonly used for special letters
2. Ink – A colored fluid or viscous marking material used for writing or printing.
TYPES OF INKS
- SECRET INK – A material used for writing which is not visible until treated by some developing
process or substances can serve or sympathetic ink.
- SYNTHETIC DYE INKS – Any ink consisting simply of a dye dissolved in water together with the
necessary preservatives. Various dyes are used in commercial in manufacture today. The aniline
dyes were the first of these, and some writers still refer to inks of this class as “ANILINE INKS”.
- NON AQUEOUS INK – Ink in which the pigment or dye is carried in any vehicle other than the
water. Inks of this class are found in ball point pens, typewriting, ribbon and stamp pads and are
widely used in the printing industry.
- INDIAN INK – oldest form of Indian ink consisted of a suspension of a carbon black (soot or lamp
black) in water to which glue or a vegetable gum was added.
- LOGWOOD INK – now obsolete and no longer manufactured. They were made from an aqueous
in extract of logwood chips and potassium chromate. These inks will be found only on old
documents.
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- IRON GALLOTANATE INKS – it is corrosive because of its acid reaction. Inks with low iron
content are put on the market as SCHOOL INK. A writing ink with a very high iron gallotanate
content (.5 to .6) is sometimes called DOCUMENT INK.
- FOUNTAIN PEN INKS – these inks are regarded as the special fountain pen inks and consisting or
ordinary iron gallotanate inks with a lower iron content in most cases but with a higher dyestuffs
than normal inks.
- BALLPOINT PEN INKS – the ballpoint pen inks did not appear on the European market before
1945. The development of present pen was accomplished during world war 2 because the army
and the air force needed a writing instrument which would not leak at high altitude and which
supplied quick drying water resistant writing.
- STAMP PAD INKS – they are made with the acid of substances such as glycerol, glycol, acetin, or
benzyl alcohol and water. Airline dyes are added as coloring matter. For quick drying stamp pad
inks, more volatile organic solvents are used as acetone, ethanol, etc. as a vehicle, dextrine, gum
Arabic, or tannin is sometimes added. Through the addition of tannin, the stamp impression
becomes water resistant after drying.
- TYPEWRITER RIBBON INKS – these inks are usually composed of a blend of aniline dyes, carbon
black and oil such as olein or castor oil. The two-tone ribbons however contain no dyes, but
pigments suspended in oil base. This is necessary because aniline dyes tend to bleed and would
cause the sharp division between the differently colored halves of the ribbon to merge.
- PRINTING INKS – Printing inks often consist of a mixture of colored pigments, carbon black, and
a “base” which may consist of oil, resins, synthetic resins or a mixture of these. It is possible to
remove the printing ink from a document by scrubbing the document with an aqueous solution
or suitable detergent. The rubbing and breaking up of the surface of the ink and the detergent
facilities, the suspension and eventual removal of the carbon and other ingredients by the
water.
- CANCELING INKS – these inks often contain carbon and this fact should be burned in mind when
it is required to decipher faint cancellation marks on a postage stamp and wrappers. Carbon is
opaque to infrared sensitive plate and be relied upon to improve the legibility of any marking
affected by a carbon containing canceling ink. Erasure of canceling ink on a valuable stamps is
usually affected by the attack on the medium which bind the carbon to the surface of the stamp
and it is to be regretted that many canceling inks are manufactured with media which offer
resistance to attack, so that the resistant carbon can simply be swabbed off. This can be usually
be detected by infrared photography which will reveal the traces of carbon, which almost
invariably remain on the stamp.
- SKRIPT INK – these are manufactured by W.A Chafer Pen Company since 1955. The inks contain
a substance that is colorless in visible light and has a strong affinity for the fibers of the paper,
and yet is not bleached by hypochlorite ink eradicators or washed out by soaking on water.
3. WRITING INSTRUMENT – It is the manual devices used to make alphanumeric marks on or in a
surface.
- BALL POINT PEN – a ball point pen uses an ink cartridge that contains colored, solid particles
suspended in a semi-liquid solution and this type of pen ink does not bleed on the paper. Also, a
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writing instrument which has its marking tips as a small freely rotating ball bearing, which roll
the ink in the paper.
- FOUNTAIN PEN – a modern nib pen containing a reservoir of ink in a specially designed chamber
or cartridge. After complete filling the pen maybe used to write a number of pages without
refilling.
- QUILL PEN – writing instrument made from the writing feathers of the goose and swan.
- FELT-TIP MARKERS – are made of dense natural or artificial fibers impregnated with a dye.
These markers can be cut to a variety of shapes and sizes, some up to an inch in width. A
modification of the ball point pen using a liquid dye fed to a metal/plastic ball was introduced in
the U.S. from Japan in 1973.
- PENCIL – A writing instrument in which the marking portion consists of a compressed stick of
graphite or colored marking substance usually mixed with dyes and was.
 PENCIL GRADE – a qualitative description of the hardness or softness of a pencil, that is how
dark a stroke it is capable of making.
- GEL PEN – A gel pen uses an ink cartridge that contains minute, colored, solid particles
suspended in a gelatinous liquid solution and this type of pen does not only bleeds, it also smear
on the paper.
- COLORED PENCIL – a pencil whose marking pigment is not black.

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PRELIM EXAM
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REFERENCES
BOOK
Camara,Richard T. (2016) “Questioned Documents Examination”

Holy Child Review Materials on Criminalistics

Compiled notes on Questioned Documents Examination

ONLINE

www.scribd.com.ph