What is documentary evidence?

• A. A physical object used as evidence.
• B. Verbal statements from witnesses.
• C. Printed or written evidence, such as a call log, written property receipt, letter, or recording.
• D. A recorded video of the scene.

Answer: (C)

Documentary evidence refers to information captured in a written or recorded form that can be presented to prove facts. It sits in contrast to oral testimony and to physical objects that are examined for their material properties. In a corrections context, you rely on documents like call logs, receipts for property, letters, or other records that memorialize events in a stable form. That’s why the option describing printed or written evidence—with examples like a call log, written property receipt, letter, or recording—is the best fit for documentary evidence. A physical object is physical evidence, and verbal statements are testimony; a recording is a form of documentary material, but the emphasis here is on printed or written evidence being the standard example.