Research/ Publications

• Aydoğdu E., Ataç Y. Types of signature forgery, detection and prevention, Turkish Journal of Police Studies, Vol:13, Issue:2, 2011.
  • This study is aimed to address the preventive measures of signature forgery. Since the preventive measures depend on the types of forged signatures, it was necessary to identify the types of forged signatures in detail. Each types of a signature forgery has different features specific to them. Thus each of them deserves special attention. Additionally, the process of a signature comparison needs special attention to be able to prevent signature forgery. Mistakes made in the signature comparison process cost loss of time, money and effort. In order to contribute the efforts in struggling against signature forgery, the types of forged signatures and the process of questioned signature comparison were explained in detail. Though fighting against many types of crimes is considered as responsibility of law enforcement agencies, struggling against crimes such as signature forgery needs additional support from other institutions. In the light of more than ten years of experience in questioned document examination and the former studies in the field, eleven preventive measures relevant to several institutions were offered in this study.
• Aydoğdu, E., Ataç, Y. & Delice, M. A Problem of simple signatures in signature examinations; signatures of people with low education status, Turkish Journal Of Forensic Sciences, Vol: 10, Issue: 3, 2011.
  • Signatures consisting of just a few lines are called simple signatures, and when they are subject to examination in a trial process, it is generally impossible to authenticate of a bearer of simple signatures. This study aimed to determine what kind of signatures do people with low education status (primary and secondary school graduates) use. It was expected that the usage of simple signatures are common among primary and secondary school graduates. The results of the study were consistent with the expectations. For the purpose of the study, signatures of 93 female and 86 male primary and secondary graduates between the age of 20-65 were examined. Among all the participants, 60% of them used simple signatures, 33% of them used shaped signatures and only %7 percent of them used signatures consisting of their names and/or surnames. Where nearly half of the male participants were found to use simple signatures (49%), usage of simple signatures were more common among the female participants (71%).
• Aydoğdu, E., Bora, T. & Büzkaya, O. Security features on checks, and check fraud, Journal of Forensic Medicine (Special Topics), 2015; 1 (1)
  • This study is about check fraud which is one of increasing crime types. First, security features on checks were explained in general terms. Then, methods of check fraud were specified, and lastly, preventive measures of check fraud were touched upon. Security features used on checks can be classified under 4 main categories, those are; paper, printing techniques, individualization and ink features. Altered, Forged, Forged as to Signature, Drown on Closed Account and Other Methods are main categories of check fraud. The methods of struggling against check fraud can be determined by following Scanning, Analysis, Response and Assessment (SARA) processes which are the stages of commenly used problem solving method of problem oriented policing. Either individuals or governmental organizations and banks should consider these methods. In other words, there are preventive measures about check fraud that both individuals, governmental organizations and banks should apply.
• Ataç Y., Aydoğdu E. Spurious Signatures, Turkish Journal Of Forensic Sciences, Vol: 9, Issue: 10, 2010.
  • This study was aimed to examine the spurious signatures in detail. One hundred people participated to the study. The participants were provided a name and a surname of a person. Without providing any additional knowledge about the genuine signature of the person, the participants were told to forge the signature of him. The participants were also told to provide their own geniune signatures. In order to identify the common caharecteristics of the spurious signatures, spurious signatures were categorized with respect to the letter and shape combinations that they included. Additionally, similarities between each spurious signature and the original signature of a person who signed that spurious signature were examined in detail. Then two document examiners who do not have any knowledge about the content or the aim of the study or about the genuines or forgeness of the signatures were asked to compare the spurious signatures with known samples. The examiners reported that all the signaturtes that they were asked to compare are forged signatures. So, the detection rate of spurious signatures were a hundred percent. However, the document examiners could only identified nineteen percent of the ‘forgers’. In other words, they detected sufficient characteristic similarities between 19 spurious signatures and the original signatures of 19 participants.
• Ataç, Y., Aydoğdu, E. & Bora, T. Determining the ownership of handwriting in forensic sciences, Turkish Journal of Police Studies, Vol:14, Issue:4, 2012.
  • Handwriting comparison is one of the ways to determine the connections between a document and a person. The authencity of handwritings are determined by comparing questioned handwritings with known writing samples of relevant people. Known handwritings can be either on previously (before the incident) filled forms/taken notes or handwritings written in the presence of a prosecutor, judge or police units. Handwriting comparison is a scientific process which should be conducted by using necessary equipments such as microscopes and document examination devices, and handwriting comparisons should be done by questioned document examination experts. Handwritings should be compared first with respect to class characteristics then by individual features. There are two major difficulties/problems in handwriting comparisons: Examinations conducted by non- experts and not submitting sufficient known handwriting samples to the experts. This study aims to present a broad literature review on handwritings and raises the awareness of relevant parties in forensic field about the importance and problems of handwriting comparisons. Solutions for the problems are also offered at the end of the study.
• Ataç, Y., Muş, E., Aydoğdu, E. & Karapazarlıoğlu, E. Police Academy Security Sciences Faculty Students’ Evidence Perception, Turkish Journal of Police Studies, Vol:15, Issue:3, 2013.
  • This study has three major aims: First, to measure the Security Sciences Faculty students’ perceptions on forensic evidence. Second, to find out whether there is a difference on perception between the different classes or between the students who watch CSI episodes or not. The collected data was analyzed by the help of SPSS 17.0 with descriptive statistics, t-test, correlation tests and variance analysis (ANOVA) were used as statistical tools. The findings of the study did not uncover any statistical significant differences both on the on the perception of different classes and CSI watchers and not watchers.
• Aydoğdu, E. Forensic science information needs of patrol officers: The perceptions of the patrol officers, their supervisors and administrators, detectives, and crime scene technicians. Spalding University, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2009. 3359503.