Handwriting across ages and regions: Latin survey

ResearchAnnouncements
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To answer these broad questions, we’ve constructed a study, which tests a series of hypotheses we formulated while undertaking our initial research. We’re now inviting people who use Latin script to participate in this survey, which will help us better understand handwriting across different ages and regions.

The survey is divided into two parts: handwriting sample text and a perceptual section.

Two sections of the Survey

The handwriting section

In the first section, we’d like you to write out a series of statements in your own natural handwriting.

We’ve created a version of this document in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Polish, Italian, Dutch, Croatian, Catalan, Romanian, Slovak, Turkish, Indonesian. Czech, Swedish, Hungarian, Finnish, Danish, and Vietnamese. Choose the version you’d feel most comfortable with.

The document is designed to be printed, and it’s three pages long.

Example of the handwriting survey

If you don’t have a printer handy, we’ve also created non-printable versions (English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Polish, Italian, Dutch, Croatian, Catalan, Romanian, Slovak, Turkish, Indonesian, Czech, Swedish, Hungarian, Finnish, Danish, and Vietnamese ), with instructions on how to submit your handwriting. We encourage you to use the printed version of the survey linked above.

Submitting your handwriting

When you’ve finished filling in the handwriting section, please scan or take a picture of all pages of the survey. If you’re using your phone to scan, make sure these photos are sharp enough, by taking them in a well-lit environment. You can use Android’s Google Drive app or iOS’ Notes app to easily scan the three pages of your handwriting section.

Example of suitable photography

When you’ve captured your handwriting, you can upload it via this page, which we designed specifically for the survey. At this stage, we will ask for your email address and some other relevant demographical questions, such as age, gender and location.

In a few days, we’ll send you an email with a link to the second part of the survey.

The perceptual section

After you have submitted your handwriting sample, we will share with you a link and access code to complete the second and last part of the survey. This section is an online survey that takes around 20 minutes to complete.

Example of Perceptual Survey

In this section, you’ll be asked to rate a series of handwritten words subjectively. Later, we’ll ask you some questions about yourself.

Other important information

Who can participate?

All regular users of the Latin script aged 18 or over, and who have no uncorrected visual impairments, are invited to participate.

Will taking part in this study be kept confidential and anonymous?

Yes. Any identifiable information from participants will be kept separately from their data and will be destroyed after completion of the study. All information regarding the participants will be kept fully anonymous and compliant with European GDPR regulations.

At any time during or after the completion of this study, you have the right to withdraw your data. If you wish your data to be destroyed at any point, please contact Héctor Mangas Afonso (hector@typotheque.com).

How long does it take?

It takes about ten minutes to handwrite the sample sheets, and five minutes to upload them to the server. The second part of the survey is taken online a few days later, and takes about 20 minutes to complete.

Why should I participate?

Typotheque often undertakes rigorous research projects which require external input, for example see this recent project. Your contribution will make the research more solid and useful. We make the research results public, for the benefit of the community, which can fuel new projects, ideas, and research.

Your help makes it happen.