In an effort to create a protocol that would have minimal impact on current workflow while still effectively removing task-irrelevant contextual information, the protocol was designed following an in-depth consultation with management and forensic staff. The resulting design was for a protocol of independent-checking (i.e. blind peer-review) in which the checker's interpretation of the evidence is conducted in the absence of case information and the original examiner's notes or interpretation(s). At the conclusion of a ten-case trial period, there was widespread agreement that the protocol had minimal impact on the number of people required, the cost, or the time to complete an item examination. The agency is now looking to adopt the protocol into standard operating procedures; and in some cases, the protocol has been extended to cover other laboratory-based examinations (e.g. fabric damage, shoeprint examination, and physical fits). The protocol developed during this trial provides a useful example for agencies seeking to adopt contextual information management into their workflow. (publisher abstract modified)
Downloads
Similar Publications
- The History of a Monumental Forensic Tool and the Ethical Debate Sparked by Wrongful Convictions Based on Trace DNA Evidence
- What FSSP Leaders Should Know About Artificial Intelligence And Its Application To Forensic Science In-Brief
- What Medical Examiner’s And Coroner’s Offices Should Know About Molecular Autopsy