Using Automated Comparisons to Quantify Handwriting Individuality

• NCJ Number: 234655
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 56 Issue: 3 Dated: May 2011 Pages: 683-689
• Author(s): Christopher P. Saunders, Ph.D.; Linda J. Davis, Ph.D.; JoAnn Buscaglia, Ph.D.
• Date Published: May 2011
• Length: 7 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Counterterrorism and Forensic Science Research Unit
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Presented at the 60th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, February 18–23, 2008, in Washington, DC.

Annotation

The goal of this paper is to illustrate what can be stated about the individuality of writing profiles using a database of handwriting samples and an automated comparison procedure.

Abstract

The proposition that writing profiles are unique is considered a key premise underlying forensic handwriting comparisons. An empirical study cannot validate this proposition because of the impossibility of observing sample documents written by every individual. This paper provides a strategy for bounding the probability of observing two writers with indistinguishable writing profiles (regardless of the comparison methodology used) with a random match probability that can be estimated statistically. The computation of this bound is illustrated using a convenience sample of documents and an automated comparison procedure based on Pearson's chi-squared statistic applied to frequency distributions of letter shapes extracted from handwriting samples. The study also shows how this bound can be used when designing an empirical study of individuality. (Published Abstract)