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Foundational Statistics for Forensic Toxicology

A webinar series hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence

This six-part webinar series provides a fundamental knowledge base in statistics before advancing into more complex concepts. This series aims to address common questions that arise in forensic toxicology and to increase both the attendees’ confidence of what they know and the awareness of what they have yet to learn. Commonly encountered data types and both descriptive and inferential statistics will be defined and discussed. Practical examples from toxicology applications are presented to help contextualize the terms and concepts.  

Each session is one hour.

This session provides an overview of the fundamental principles of statistics as encountered and applied in forensic toxicology. Various elements of statistics are often utilized or relied upon by scientists to describe produced results and to demonstrate if forensic instruments or processes are “working” or “in-control”. Here we establish the basic terminology for the principles of statistical analysis. Participants will begin to be better equipped to interpret and analyze forensic toxicology data accurately and effectively. 

This session explores various distributions commonly encountered in forensic toxicology (normal, rectangular, etc.). Participants will learn about the characteristics of these distributions and how they manifest in toxicological data. Also, this session covers statistical measures that can describe and compare distributions, including variance, standard deviation, and relative standard deviation. Through practical examples, participants will gain insight into how these statistical techniques are applied in forensic toxicology. 

This session explores hypothesis testing, a fundamental concept in statistical analysis, and its applications in forensic toxicology. Participants will gain an understanding of the different types of statistical tests, their respective applications, and how they can be utilized to uncover meaningful insights from toxicological data. 

In this session, we address common challenges, misconceptions, and questions encountered in day-to-day forensic toxicology laboratory settings related to statistics. Participants will gain insights into the practical application of statistical concepts and terminology in quality control and control charting, including trends and outliers. Furthermore, participants will learn about data interpretation, distinguishing between results that occur due to statistical significance and those the occur due to random variation.  
 

Session five will incorporate concepts from earlier sessions and focus on the practical application of control data in estimating Measurement Uncertainty (MU). Rather than a discussion about how to calculate the MU, this session provides practical examples to demonstrate the key elements of the statistical process. Participants will learn how to incorporate control data into MU estimation by leveraging statistical techniques aimed at quantifying the uncertainty associated with measurement processes. 

In this fireside chat, panelists include practitioners and experts in forensic toxicology, and subject matter experts for the application of statistics in forensic toxicology. Join us in a dynamic and engaging session to explore common frustrations and challenges experienced in the laboratory, providing participants with valuable insights and practical solutions. Panelists will share their personal experiences and perspectives, offering tips, strategies, and best practices for overcoming these challenges effectively.  

 

 

Date Published: December 18, 2024