What is Questioned Document Examination?
Questioned document examination is a branch of forensics which focuses on the analysis of documents which are disputed. A questioned document examiner will look at the document in question and use a variety of techniques to analyze it, and he or she may even be called as a witness in a case, depending on the outcome of the examination. Many forensic laboratories keep a forensic document examiner on staff, and some people in this field also work independently, offering their services to anyone who wishes to pay their fees. The training required for a career in questioned document examination varies. At a minimum, a candidate must have extremely good perception skills and eyesight, with colorblindness tending to exclude someone from the field. He or she may also be encouraged to take tests with basic samples to see whether or not he or she can notice subtle differences between materials. Someone who is good at “spot the differences” puzzles in the Sunday paper might be a good candidate.
