Cognitive Human Factors and Forensic Document Examiner Methods and Procedures: Writing Characteristics, Visual Context, and Handwriting Examination Decision Accuracy

Ongoing research is needed to achieve transparency in the methods and procedures of forensic document examination, and to empirically support the creation of standardized education and training that will help forensic document examiners achieve the creation of best practices in all areas of the field. In February 2020, NIST published an extensive report prepared by the Expert Working Group for Human Factors in Handwriting Examination, titled Forensic Handwriting Examination and Human Factors: Improving the Practice Through a Systems Approach [1]. The report encourages interdisciplinary research efforts that embrace multiple research methods to study neurological, physiological, cognitive, social, and environmental factors that form the context in which handwriting examination