A form is a

document A document is a written, drawn, presented, or memorialized representation of thought, often the manifestation of non-fictional, as well as fictional, content. The word originates from the Latin ''Documentum'', which denotes a "teaching" o ...

with spaces (also named ''fields'' or ''placeholders'') in which to

write Writing is a medium of human communication which involves the representation of a language through a system of physically inscribed, mechanically transferred, or digitally represented symbols. Writing systems do not themselves constitute h ...

or select, for a series of documents with similar contents. The documents usually have the printed parts in common, except, possibly, for a serial number. Forms, when completed, may be a statement, a request, an order, etc.; a

check Check or cheque, may refer to: Places * Check, Virginia Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Check'' (film), a 2021 Indian Telugu-language film * ''The Checks'' (episode), a 1996 TV episode of ''Seinfeld'' Games and sports * Check (chess), a thr ...

may be a form. Also there are forms for taxes; filling one in is a duty to have determined how much tax one owes, and/or the form is a request for a refund. See also

Tax return A tax return is the completion of documentation that calculates an entity or individual's income earned and the amount of taxes to be paid to the government or government organizations or, potentially, back to the taxpayer. Taxation is one of ...

. Forms may be filled out in duplicate (or ''triplicate'', meaning three times) when the information gathered on the form needs to be distributed to several departments within an

organization An organization or organisation (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), see spelling differences), is an legal entity, entity—such as ...

. This can be done using

carbon paper Carbon paper (originally carbonic paper) consists of sheets of paper which create one or more copies simultaneously with the creation of an original document when inscribed by a typewriter or ballpoint pen. History In 1801, Pellegrino Turri, ...

History

Forms have existed for a significant amount of time, with historians of

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

having discovered preprinted legal forms from the early 19th century that greatly simplified the task of drafting complaints and various other legal pleadings.

Advantages

Advantages of forms include the following: * One has to write less (while the printing is almost universally done in some automatic way) * One is told or reminded what information has to be supplied * There is uniformity, for convenience in processing * Information is collected in writing and so can be reexamined later (the form can also include a signature field to allow someone to take responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided). * Simpler tasks, such as collecting or distributing data, can be separated in the

workflow A workflow consists of an orchestrated and repeatable pattern of activity, enabled by the systematic organization of resources into processes that transform materials, provide services, or process information. It can be depicted as a sequence o ...

from more skilled processes, such as making decisions. Issuing and processing the forms may then be done by less skilled staff, or by a computer. The de-skilled task becomes issuing or completing the appropriate form for the circumstances, and then passing it on to the next step in the

. This might reduce costs and increase the volume of work that can be handled. A form on a computer allows for conveniently typing in the variable parts (the input data).

Form structure

A blank form is like a usual document, with some outlined parts with spaces. Blank forms are generally not copyrightable in the US.37 Code of Federal Regulations § 202.1(c) (2006) ("Blank forms, such as time cards, graph paper, account books, diaries, bank checks, scorecards, address books, report forms, order forms and the like, which are designed for recording information and do not in themselves convey information re not subject to copyright); ''see also

Baker v. Selden ''Baker v. Selden'', 101 U.S. 99 (1879), was a leading Supreme Court of the United States copyright case cited to explain the idea-expression dichotomy. The court held that a book did not give an author the right to exclude others from practicin ...

'', 101 U.S. 99 (1880).

Frame and fixed content

Part of the document that never changes. Usually a frame with title and textual instructions.

Placeholders

Boxes or spaces where the user can write or type to fill in the form.

History

Advantages

Form structure

Frame and fixed content

Placeholders

Notes

See also