Two Journals for Sharing Your Forensic Science and Statistics Research

The first volume of Statistics and Data Science in Imaging included an article by Karen Kafadar, CSAFE co-director, and Alicia Carriquiry, CSAFE director, titled “Challenges in Modeling, Interpreting, and Drawing Conclusions from Images as Forensic Evidence.”

If you’re looking for a journal to showcase your latest research findings, consider exploring these two publications that focus on statistics and forensic science.

Statistics and Data Science in Imaging

Statistics and Data Science in Imaging (SDSI) is a new journal from the American Statistical Association (ASA) dedicated to advancing the processing, modeling and analysis of imaging data across diverse fields. SDSI addresses a significant need in academia by providing a platform where statisticians, data scientists, and imaging researchers can share their innovations, tackle challenges, and explore interdisciplinary approaches. Unlike traditional journals, SDSI does not publish issues. Articles will be released on a rolling basis. The first two volumes are available now.

The first volume included an article by Karen Kafadar, CSAFE co-director, and Alicia Carriquiry, CSAFE director, titled “Challenges in Modeling, Interpreting, and Drawing Conclusions from Images as Forensic Evidence.”

To learn more about SDSI and how to submit an article, visit https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/usdi20.

Forensic Sciences Research

Forensic Sciences Research (FSR) is published by the Academy of Forensic Science (AFS) and features the latest research across various disciplines of forensic sciences. The journal aims to promote the field of forensic science through high-quality research articles, reviews, case reports, and letters to the editor. FSR is currently accepting submissions.

For more information about FSR, visit https://academic.oup.com/fsr.

NIST Report Highlights Key Challenges in Forensic Science and Provides Strategies for Addressing Them

The entrance sign at NIST's Gaithersburg campus. Credit: J. Stoughton/NIST

In September, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released a new report titled “Strategic Opportunities to Advance Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward Through Research and Standards.”

Following an extensive literature review and input from researchers, forensic practitioners and others, NIST identified four “grand challenges” facing the forensic science community. The report outlined strategies designed to tackle these challenges through focused research and development and the adoption of standards.

The four challenges highlighted in the report are:

  • Accuracy and reliability of complex methods and techniques for analysis of forensic evidence.
    Quantify and establish statistically rigorous measures of accuracy and reliability of complex methods and techniques for forensic evidence analysis that clearly demonstrate their validity when applied to evidence of varying quality.
  • New methods and techniques for analysis of forensic evidence.
    Develop new methods and techniques for forensic evidence analysis, including those that leverage the benefits of algorithms and next-generation technologies, such as AI, to provide rapid analyses of forensic evidence and produce new analytical insights from complex forensic evidence.
  • Science-based standards and guidelines for forensic science practices.
    Develop rigorous science-based standards, conformity assessment schemes, and guidelines across forensic science disciplines to support consistent and comparable results from forensic analyses among laboratories and jurisdictions.
  • Adoption and use of advanced forensic analysis methods, techniques, standards and guidelines.
    Promote the adoption and use of advances in forensic science standards, guidelines, methods, and techniques aimed at improving the validity, reliability, and consistency of forensic science practices.

NIST emphasized the importance of these efforts in a news release, stating,  “By addressing these shared challenges, the forensic science community will strengthen the foundations of our criminal justice system, ensuring fairness and impartiality while also preserving public safety and public trust.”

NIST will Host a Workshop on the Scientific Foundation Review of Footwear Impression Examination

The entrance sign at NIST's Gaithersburg campus. Credit: J. Stoughton/NIST

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has begun work on a new Scientific Foundation Review for footwear impression examination and will hold a workshop on this review at the 2023 International Association for Identification (IAI) Annual International Forensic Educational Conference.

The IAI Conference will be held Aug. 20-26 in National Harbor, Maryland, and the NIST-hosted workshop, “Footwear Impression Examination: A NIST Scientific Foundation Review,”  will take place Aug. 25 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. EDT.

NIST Scientific Foundation Reviews document and evaluate the scientific basis for forensic science methods and practices. These reviews focus on the published scientific literature and other relevant sources of data that can provide information on questions of reliability. To date, NIST has begun or completed reviews on DNA mixture interpretation, digital evidence, bitemark analysis and firearms examination.

The workshop at the IAI Conference will explore key questions, premises and knowledge gaps in forensic footwear examination to inform a Scientific Foundation Review of the practice. Participants will hear about progress and plans for this review and can provide feedback on the literature gathered and identified claims for the field. This workshop is part of a study that will culminate with a public report from NIST regarding scientific foundations for performing forensic footwear examinations.

The workshop will be led by Kelly Sauerwein, a physical scientist with the Forensic Science Research Program in the NIST Special Programs Office, and John Butler, a NIST Fellow and Special Assistant to the Director for Forensic Science in the NIST Special Programs Office.

For questions about the workshop or information on potential travel support, contact Sauerwein at kelly.sauerwein@nist.gov.

For more information about NIST Scientific Foundation Reviews, go to https://www.nist.gov/forensic-science/interdisciplinary-topics/scientific-foundation-reviews.

For more information about the 2023 IAI Conference, visit https://na.eventscloud.com/ehome/107thiaiconf/1202792/.

NIST Finalizes Report of Forensic Bitemark Analysis

Illustration of a typical human dentition viewed in standard anatomical position. Credit: K. Sauerwein/NIST

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has finalized the report Bitemark Analysis: A NIST Scientific Review.

The report details the findings from a NIST review of the scientific foundations of bitemark analysis, a forensic technique used to compare the marks on the skin of a biting victim with the teeth of a potential biter.

Following a short introduction on how the review was conducted, the report includes chapters on:

  • Background information on bitemark analysis, including the principles and practices involved in bitemark analysis and comparison.
  • Data and information sources used in the review and how they were located.
  • Important factors that influence the reliability of bitemark analysis.
  • Thoughts on future directions of bitemark analysis.

A draft report was first published in October 2022 and was open for public comments through Dec. 12, 2022. The finalized report includes minor updates based on public comments received.

Supplemental information is available, including the October 2019 CSAFE Bitemark Thinkshop Report. The Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE) hosted a NIST-funded meeting in 2019 where forensic dentists, researchers, statisticians, lawyers and other experts addressed scientific questions about bitemark analysis. The meeting summary was written by Alicia Carriquiry, CSAFE director, and Hal Stern, CSAFE co-director, and helped to inform the NIST scientific review.

NIST hosted a three-hour webinar to discuss the draft report and its finding on Oct. 27, 2022. A recording of the webinar is available at https://www.nist.gov/news-events/events/2022/10/webinar-bitemark-analysis-nist-scientific-foundation-review.

More details about the report can be found at https://www.nist.gov/spo/forensic-science-program/bitemark-analysis-nist-scientific-foundation-review.

OSAC Releases Report on the 2022 Registry Implementation Survey

OSAC Registry Implementation Survey: 2022 Report

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC) released its 2022 Registry Implementation Survey results. The report provides a detailed look at the implementation status of the 95 standards posted on the OSAC Registry through June 2022.

The survey is designed to help OSAC better understand how the standards on the OSAC Registry are being used, the challenges around standards implementation and what support is needed to improve it.

The report includes several key takeaways from the survey, including that 128 out of 177 survey respondents reported that their organization had fully or partially implemented one standard on the OSAC registry. Also, of the 95 standards included in the survey, 94 are being implemented.

The OSAC Registry Implementation Survey: 2022 Report is available at https://www.nist.gov/osac/osac-registry-implementation-survey.

The OSAC Registry is a repository of published and proposed standards for forensic science that define best define best practices, standard protocols and other guidance to ensure the results of forensic analysis are valid, reliable and reproducible. For more information about the OSAC Registry, visit https://www.nist.gov/osac/osac-registry.

From page 11 of the OSAC Registry Implementation Survey: 2022 Report:

Priority for Implementing Standards: 2021 & 2022 Comparison
According to the 177 respondents to the 2022 survey, implementation was seen as a higher priority compared to the 155 respondents in the 2021 survey.

Click on image to enlarge. Figure 6. Priority for standards implementation: Comparison between the 2021 and 2022 OSAC Registry Implementation Surveys.
Click on image to enlarge. Figure 6. Priority for standards implementation: Comparison between the 2021 and 2022 OSAC Registry Implementation Surveys.

NIST Seeks Public Comments on Draft Report of Forensic Bitemark Analysis

Illustration of a typical human dentition viewed in standard anatomical position. Credit: K. Sauerwein/NIST

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published Bitemark Analysis: A NIST Scientific Review. The draft report will be open for public comments through Dec. 12, 2022.

The report details the findings from a NIST review of the scientific foundations of bitemark analysis, a forensic technique used to compare the marks on the skin of a biting victim with the teeth of a potential biter.

There were several key takeaways identified as part of the scientific review, including one that states that bitemark analysis is not supported by sufficient data:

Forensic bitemark analysis lacks a sufficient scientific foundation because the three key premises of the field are not supported by the data. First, human anterior dental patterns have not been shown to be unique at the individual level. Second, those patterns are not accurately transferred to human skin consistently. Third, it has not been shown that defining characteristics of those patterns can be accurately analyzed to exclude or not exclude individuals as the source of a bitemark.

The Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE) hosted a NIST-funded meeting in 2019 where forensic dentists, researchers, statisticians, lawyers and other experts addressed scientific questions around bitemark analysis. A meeting summary was written by Alicia Carriquiry, CSAFE director, and Hal Stern, CSAFE co-director. The CSAFE Bitemark Thinkshop Report provided information for the NIST review and has been published as a supplement.

NIST hosted a three-hour webinar on Oct. 27 to discuss the draft report and its findings. A recording of the webinar will be posted soon on the NIST website. For more information, visit https://www.nist.gov/news-events/events/2022/10/webinar-bitemark-analysis-nist-scientific-foundation-review.

Read the NIST news release on the report at https://www.nist.gov/spo/forensic-science-program/bitemark-analysis-nist-scientific-foundation-review.

NIST Webinar will Discuss the Scientific Foundation Review on Bitemark Analysis

The entrance sign at NIST's Gaithersburg campus. Credit: J. Stoughton/NIST

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will host a webinar to discuss its latest Scientific Foundation Review on bitemark analysis. The webinar will be held Oct. 27 from 1–3 p.m. EDT.

NIST Scientific Foundation Reviews document and evaluate the scientific basis for forensic science methods and practices. These reviews focus on the published scientific literature and other relevant sources of data that can provide information on questions of reliability. To date, NIST has begun foundation reviews on DNA mixture interpretation, digital evidence, bitemark analysis, and firearms examination.

The upcoming webinar will review the contents and findings in a draft report, Bitemark Analysis: A NIST Scientific Foundation Review,  and provide an opportunity for attendees to ask questions. The draft report will be open for public comment through Dec. 12, 2022. The authors will consider all comments submitted before publishing a final version of the report. For more information

The Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE) hosted a workshop in 2019 where forensic dentists, researchers, statisticians, lawyers and other experts addressed scientific questions around bitemark analysis. A summary of the workshop was written by Alicia Carriquiry, CSAFE director, and Hal Stern, CSAFE co-director. It provided information for the NIST review and has been published as a supplement to it.

To register for the webinar, visit https://www.nist.gov/news-events/events/2022/10/webinar-bitemark-analysis-nist-scientific-foundation-review.

For more information about NIST scientific foundation reviews, go to https://www.nist.gov/forensic-science/interdisciplinary-topics/scientific-foundation-reviews.

Registration is Open for Forensics@NIST 2022

The entrance sign at NIST's Gaithersburg campus. Credit: J. Stoughton/NIST

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced the dates for its annual Forensics@NIST. The virtual event will be held Nov. 8–10, 2022.

Forensics@NIST will feature presentations from NIST scientists on how they are using advanced methods in metrology, computer science and statistics to strengthen forensic science. The topics to be covered are:

  • drugs/toxins
  • statistical methods in forensic science
  • firearms and toolmarks
  • forensic genetics
  • trace
  • digital and multimedia
  • biometrics

As a NIST Center of Excellence, the Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE) will present on Nov. 10 from 3–4:30 p.m. EST. CSAFE researchers will provide an overview of the CSAFE resources available to the forensic science community and give updates on firearms and toolmarks, bloodstain pattern and handwriting analysis projects.

  • CSAFE Overview

    Presenter: Alicia Carriquiry, CSAFE director and Distinguished Professor and President’s Chair in Statistics at Iowa State University
  • CSAFE Firearms and Toolmarks Analysis

    Presenter: Maria Cuellar, assistant professor of criminology at the University of Pennsylvania
  • CSAFE Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

    Presenter: Tong Zou, graduate student in statistics at the University of California, Irvine
  • CSAFE Handwriting Analysis

    Presenter: Danica Ommen, assistant professor of statistics at Iowa State University
  • CSAFE Q&A

    Presenters: Carriquiry, Cuellar, Zou and Ommen

NIST will also hold optional workshops on Nov. 14–15, 2022. Each workshop is limited to 175 attendees, and registrations will be approved on a first-come, first-serve basis. Attendees must attend the main sessions on Nov. 9–10 to register for a workshop. The list of workshops is below:

  • How It’s Made: NIST Forensic DNA Reference Materials
  • NIST 2022 Forensic Cannabis Workshop
  • Mass Spectral Interpretation – Tips and Tools for GC-EI-MS and High-Resolution MS Data
  • Process Mapping
  • Application & Implementation of 3D Technology, Algorithms, and Statistics for Forensic Firearm and Toolmark Analysis

For more information or to register, visit https://www.nist.gov/news-events/events/2022/11/forensicsnist-2022.

OSAC Public Update Meeting Set for Sept. 13

Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science will host its annual Public Update Meeting on Sept. 13, 2022, from 1–4:30 p.m. EDT. Attendees will learn how OSAC is making an impact on the forensic science community through standards.

The virtual meeting will feature presentations from the seven chairs of OSAC’s Scientific Area Committees and the chair of the Forensic Science Standards Board. Each presenter will describe their committee’s activities, including the latest standards actions, research gaps, challenges being addressed and priorities for the coming year.

There is no fee to attend, but registration is required. The meeting agenda and registration information are available at https://www.nist.gov/news-events/events/2022/09/organization-scientific-area-committees-forensic-science-osac-public.

The OSAC works to strengthen the nation’s use of forensic science by facilitating the development of scientifically sound forensic science standards and by promoting the use of those standards by the forensic science community. OSAC has over 500 members and 275 affiliates that work together to draft and evaluate forensic science standards through a transparent, consensus-based process that allows for participation and comment by all stakeholders. For more information about OSAC and its programs, visit https://www.nist.gov/osac.

Two New Forensic Firearm Examination Standards Added to the OSAC Registry of Approved Standards

Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science has placed two new standards covering firearm and toolmark analysis on its Registry of Approved Standards. According to a recent news release, these new standards provide guidance on implementing 3D technologies in forensic labs.

The new standards are:

The new release noted that researchers have been developing new methods that use 3D surface scanning microscopes to produce 3D models of the bullets, and computer algorithms can then compare the microscopic features of the two virtual bullets to measure how similar they are.

“These standards give labs guidance on purchasing and setting up a 3D system, validating it to ensure that it produces accurate results, and implementing it into their workflow,” said Erica Lawton, a firearms examiner at the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences who, as the chair of OSAC’s Firearms and Toolmarks Subcommittee, helped guide the new standards through the approval process.

According to the news release, a benefit of using a 3D system for comparing the surface features of two bullets or cartridge cases is that the algorithm generates a numerical score that describes how closely the two surfaces match. “That match statistic expresses the amount of uncertainty in the analysis, and police investigators, jurors and others can use it when weighing the evidence. With the traditional method, an expert can only give a subjective opinion as to whether two bullets or cartridge cases were fired from the same gun. They cannot provide a match statistic,” stated the news release.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) administers OSAC as part of its larger Forensic Science Program, which works to strengthen forensic science through advanced research and improved standards. NIST also supports laboratory efforts to implement standards on the OSAC registry via a cooperative agreement with the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. For more information on OSAC’s role in the standards development process, visit the OSAC website.

The Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE), a NIST Center of Excellence, is developing statistical and scientific foundations for assessing and matching firearms and toolmarks. Learn more about CSAFE’s work in this area at https://forensicstats.org/firearms-and-toolmark-analysis/.