Utilizing Data From Write-On™ 2.0 To Provide A Stronger Scientific Basis For Handwriting Examinations

Forensic document examination can fall prey to criticism regarding the lack of a proper statistical basis in handwriting examinations. The development of Write-On™ as a tool to aid forensic document examiners (FDE’s) in the analysis of handwriting has helped to address this situation. One facet WriteOn™ provides is a wealth of statistical data, however it seems to be largely under-utilized. The authors have developed methods to better exploit the statistical data produced by Write-On™, which gives the examination a stronger scientific footing. This research explores how to extract the data produced by Write-On™, export it into Microsoft Excel^® (Excel) and use the data to demonstrate whether there is a sufficient quality and quantity of handwriting to conduct a proper and adequate comparison. Conveying this information in a report provides an improved scientific basis for the opinion expressed.