One of the projects I had the pleasure to be involved in was the “Expert Working Group for Human Factors in Handwriting Examination”. The WG was convened in 2015 to conduct a scientific assessment of the effects of Human Factors in Forensic Handwriting Examination, with the support of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences (OIFS) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Programs Office.

It was a lengthy process involving a lot of people drawn from many different domains. The authors of the report included Melissa K. Taylor, Carolyne Bird, Brett Bishop, Ted Burkes, Michael P. Caligiuri, Bryan Found, Wesley P. Grose, Lauren R. Logan, Kenneth E. Melson, Mara L. Merlino, Larry S. Miller, Linton Mohammed, Jonathan Morris, John Paul Osborn, Nikola Osborne, Brent Ostrum, Christopher P. Saunders, Scott A. Shappell, H. David Sheets, Sargur N. Srihari, Reinoud D. Stoel, Thomas W. Vastrick, Heather E. Waltke, and Emily J. Will.

The final report was published as a NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR #8282), on February 18, 2020.¹

The report abstract reads, as follows:

For some 6,000 years, humans have made an indelible mark on history through the loops, strokes, and other characters that constitute the written form of language – handwriting. The study of handwriting is also an important part of forensic science. By analyzing the characteristics of a handwritten note or signature, a trained forensic document examiner may be able to extract valuable information for determining whether a note or signature is genuine, as well as the likely writer. As with all human endeavors, handwriting examination is not immune to errors. In June 2015, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology convened the Expert Working Group for Human Factors in Handwriting Examination to conduct a scientific assessment of the effects of human factors on forensic handwriting examination with the goal of recommending strategies and approaches to improve its practice and reduce the likelihood of errors. This report provides a comprehensive discussion of how human factors relate to all aspects of handwriting examinations including communicating conclusions to all relevant parties through reports and testimony. The report also discusses education, training, and certification as well as the role of quality assurance, quality control, and management in reducing errors.

The document is not perfect —this type of thing never can be perrfect. However, a lot of effort went into it and the end result deserves careful consideration and review by forensic practitioners, and anyone else interested in the field. The work addressed key issues like proper procedures, examiner qualifications and competency, evidence evaluation and reporting.

You can get more information from the NIST Webpage: www.nist.gov/programs-projects/forensic-handwriting-examination-and-human-factors
Alternatively, here is a direct link to report: nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ir/2020/NIST.IR.8282.pdf

Update: A revision  of the document was published in 2021. You can get it by going to: https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8282r1 ²

1. Expert Working Group for Human Factors in Handwriting Examination. Forensic Handwriting Examination and Human Factors: Improving the Practice Through a Systems Approach. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology. 2020. NISTIR 8282. Published February 18, 2020. DOI: 10.6028/NIST.IR.8282
2. Expert Working Group for Human Factors in Handwriting Examination. Forensic Handwriting Examination and Human Factors: Improving the Practice Through a Systems Approach. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology. 2021. NISTIR 8282R1. Published May 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8282r1