Interpretation of differences in a comparative analysis of handwriting

Abstract

According to experts’ opinion which was also confirmed by many different experiments on handwriting, most errors made by document examiners result from a misjudgment (or misinterpretation) in the significance of a difference found between the questioned and exemplar materials. The article introduces a number of ideas for improving methodology for examination of handwriting, especially how to understand one of the main principles respecting writing identification that a writer cannot ameliorate his maximum writing ability or skill without effort, practice and/or training over a period of time, or how to prepare writing standards for examination of distorted writing.