I have collected A LOT of stuff from the British National Archives at
Kew and it's all been 'Weeded' before release; this includes Tippexing
out many of the more interesting names.

However, the Tippexing/Weeding processes are rather hit & miss. A
document can be missing in one file and intact in another.

Similarly, the Tippexing can be inconsistent as between the same
document in different files.

It is sometimes possible to reconstruct a document with absolute
certainty but, at other times, there has to be a bit of guesswork.

One thing that I do occasionally is to measure the length of the
Tippex mark and match this against probable names. (Most documents
have been typed on non-proportional machines and the Tippexing is
always very neat.)

Can anyone conjure up a memorable term to describe this Tippex
reconstruction technique? (I want to use it as shorthand to qualify my
sources.)

Many thanks!

Got it:

Tippextraction! (tippex extraction)

---

Clarification of Answer by eiffel-ga on 22 Feb 2004 10:04 PST

Sorry Bryan, I had intended to post this as a comment rather than in
the answer box. I'll email the answers editors and ask them to remove
this answer.

eiffel-ga

No need to apologise, Eiffel, you deserve a reward for your magnificent efforts.

Please tell the Editors that your Answer is great

Warmest Regards

Bryan

Mmmm...the science of analyzing and deciphering tippexed documents

tippexology
cryptpex
crypex

A great start AnswerFinder. Many thanks.

Cipherpex
T-pex
C-pex
T-Rex... :)

TipX
TpX
CpX
TipX
TpX
CpX

Great stuff ...

Many thanks.

I think we're getting there.

Much like my profession, you are a FORENSIC EXAMINER and what you do
is very similar to what we refer to as FORENSIC COMPARISION (sometimes
called a Forensic reconstructionist - putting things back together
after the fact using logic, precedent, and known example along with a
bit of creativity, guess work and yes, courage).

regards;
tutuzdad-ga

Maybe that makes you a FORENSIC TIPPEXIST. If so, your study may be
FORENSIC TIPPEXION.

It seems obvious to me that you are a Tippexpert, and the practice of
this art is Tippexpertise.

Oh boy ... things are getting better and better ...

Forensic Examiner sounds really important! (And I bet the pay is
better than I'm getting at present, sweeping the floors in
MacDonalds.)

I do like everything that's been suggested.

Many thanks to everybody.

Bryan

Well ..., how about "to detype"?

Couldn't find this word in the printed version of the OED.
Bartleby.com doesn't mention it:
http://www.bartleby.com/cgi-bin/texis/webinator/sitesearch?FILTER=&query=detype

But even if this word does exist:
://www.google.co.uk/search?q=detype

I suppose you could use it "to describe this Tippex reconstruction technique".

Hi, Again, Freddy

I do believe that you and your team are on the right track. 

And on the same lines ...

What about 'detypex'?

Bryan

Please say a big 'Hi' from me to all the Boys and Girls in Cheltenham.

How about "forensic typography" or "typographic deduction"?

Regards,
eiffel-ga

Hi, Eiffel

That's very good but I wonder if the phrase coule be condensed into one word?

Many thanks

Bryan

(Back typing) similar to back enginering,   or (type back - TB)or ink
reestablishment personel  boils down to weedfeeder (eh! ya never know)

Hi, Mr Fixit

Great suggestions. Many thanks.

Bryan

tippendectomy (tippex removal)
forensectomy (forensic removal)
forenography (forensic typography)
antitippexization (or detippexization)
extra-tippex-perception
tippoduction (tippex deduction)
typoduction (typographic deduction)
typoconstruction (typographic reconstruction)

Got it:

Tippextraction! (tippex extraction)

tippXray (tippex X-ray)
blottovision
tippovision
ex-tippex

Thanks, Bryan, for accepting my answer. Another word that sprang into
my mind last night is "tiposuction" (yes, the play on "liposuction" is
intentional).

It also occurred to me that a wide range of "ex" words, including some
Latin phrases, could be joined on to the end of tippex:

tippexamination (or tippexamined)
tippexcathedra
tippexcavation
tippexcerption
tipp-ex-directory
tipp-ex-dono ("by a gift from Tippex")
tippexegesis ("interpretation of the Tippex")
tippexertion
tippexgratia ("by the kindness of Tippex")
tippexhibit
tippexhilaration
tippexhortation
tippexhumation
tipp-ex-hypothesi ("by the hypothesis of tippex")
tipp-ex-improviso ("unexpectedly, from the tippex")
tipp-ex-nihilo ("out of the tippex from nothing")
tippexode ("dramatic conclusion from the tippex")
tippexodus ("coming out of the tippex")
tippexorcism
tippexpectation
tippexpectoration ("spat out by the tippex")
tippexpedience ("conveniently, from the tippex")
tippexpeditious ("facilitated by the tippex")
tippexpelled
tippexperimentation
tippexpiscation ("find out by skill from the tippex")
tippexplanation
tippexplication ("explanation unfolding from the tippex")
tippexplosion
tippexploitation
tippexploration
tippexponable ("able to be explained by tippex")
tippexported
tippexposition (and tippexposed)
tipp-ex-post-facto ("retrospectively, from the tippex")
tippexpostulation
tippexpression
tipp-ex-professo ("avowedly from the tippex")
tipp-ex-propriis ("by one's own resources from the tippex")
tipp-ex-tacito ("silently from the tippex")
tippextirpation ("rooting out from the tippex")
tippextolment ("act of lifting up from the tippex")
tippextortion
tippextrapolation ("by inference from the tippex")
tippextrication
tippextrusion ("forced out from the tippex")
tippexudation ("oozing out from the tippex")

My favourite is still tippextraction (although tippextrapolation
conveys a more exact meaning). The opposite action, ruling out a name
because it can't possibly fit in the blotted out space, then becomes
tippexclusion.

Hi, Eiffel

Many thanks for all the extra goodies.

I found ALL the suggestions helpful.

Bryan

A Dublin City University postgraduate student has been using the same technique:

Slashdot: Student Uncovers US Military Secrets
http://slashdot.org/articles/04/05/16/1448214.shtml?tid=126&tid=172&tid=93

Wow, Eiffel

Yet another Towering Goody. Very many thanks.

I'm off to Paris shortly (to the Louvre actually) and I shall
certainly look out for you when I'm there ...

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=346209

In the meantime ... Text Analysis Software sounds very interesting ...

So, watch out for another question.

All the Best

Bryan