Questioned Document (QD)
Definition
Any document whose authenticity, source, age, sequence of preparation or content is in dispute and requires examination by a forensic expert.
- Field
- Forensic document examination
- Disputed attributes
- Authenticity, source, age, sequence, content
- Compared against
- Known or standard specimens
Common questions
What distinguishes a questioned document from a known document?+
A known document has a verified, undisputed origin, such as a signature given voluntarily for comparison, while a questioned document's authorship, age, or content is exactly what the examination sets out to determine.
What kinds of items can be treated as questioned documents?+
Beyond paper and ink, the category includes typewritten or printed material, cheques, wills, contracts, altered photographs, and increasingly digital files where authenticity or sequence of creation is disputed.
Related terms
- Document
- Any matter expressed or described upon any substance by means of letters, figures or marks intended to be used for the purpose...
- Electronic Record
- Data generated, sent, received, or stored by electronic means, including emails, call data records, server logs, database entries, CCTV footage, and documents...
- Negotiable Instrument
- Defined under the Negotiable Instruments Act 1881 Section 13. Promissory note, bill of exchange or cheque payable to order or bearer.
- Private Document
- Defined under BSA 2023 Section 75. All documents other than public documents (personal letters, agreements, diaries, cheques in the hands of a...
- Public Document
- Defined under BSA 2023 Section 74. Records of sovereign authority, official bodies and public officers of India or a foreign country; public...
- Security Feature
- Engineered element of a document (watermark, security thread, microprinting, intaglio, optically variable ink, latent image, fluorescent fibres) that frustrates forgery and supports...
- Standard or Exemplar
- A document of known origin used for comparison with a questioned document. May be requested (taken under controlled conditions) or collected (from...
- Watermark
- A pattern formed in paper during manufacture by localised fibre-density variation on the Fourdrinier wire; visible in transmitted light as a lighter...