Our goal is to share how CSAFE research directly impacts the forensic science community. To connect you with the latest advancements, our team publicizes research results in peer-reviewed scientific journals and at worldwide forensic science conferences.
Below you will find links to full publications resulting from center research, as well as copies of recent presentation slides. Looking for more CSAFE products? Find research tools and datasets in our resources section.
Materials By Research Area
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Autopsy of a Crime Lab: Addressing the Sources of Error in Forensics
Type: Presentation Slides Research Area(s): Implementation and Practice
Published: 2022 | By: Brandon Garrett
Keynote presentation: Autopsy of a Crime Lab book and overview of IMPL 1 Project Area
Automatic Class Characteristic Recognition in Shoe Tread Images
Type: Presentation Slides Research Area(s): Footwear
Published: 2022 | By: Jayden Stack
One of the fundamental problems in footwear forensics is that the distribution of class characteristics in the local population is not currently knowable. Surveillance devices for gathering this data are just half of the battle — it is also necessary…
Exploration of Subclass Characteristics Manufacturing
Type: Presentation Slides Research Area(s): Firearms and Toolmarks
Published: 2021 | By: Veronica Franklin
A webinar presented during the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE0 Firearm and Toolmark webinar series on the progress of our CSAFE project. This study assesses the production of subclass characteristics during the manufacturing of breech faces by three different…
Authors’ Response to Commentary on: Liu Y, Attinger D, De Brabanter K. Automatic classification of bloodstain patterns caused by gunshot and blunt impact at various distances
Type: Publication Research Area(s): Bloodstain
Published: 2020 | By: Daniel Attinger
The Commentary by A. Keten makes the case for considering evaporation and coagulation in research and applications of the forensic discipline of bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA). The author also mentions two important facts: first, blood stains are often present in…
Does Image Editing Improve the Quality of Latent Prints? An Analysis of Image‐Enhancement Techniques in One Crime Laboratory
Type: Presentation Slides Research Area(s): Implementation and Practice,Latent Print
Published: 2022 | By: Brett Gardner
The following was presented at the 74th Annual Scientific Conference of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), Seattle, Washington, February 21-25, 2022
What types of information can and do latent print examiners review? A survey of practicing examiners
Type: Presentation Slides Research Area(s): Implementation and Practice,Latent Print
Published: 2022 | By: Brett Gardner
The following was presented at the 74th Annual Scientific Conference of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), Seattle, Washington, February 21-25, 2022.
Investigative Leads in Latent Prints: A Comparison of Laboratory Procedures
Type: Presentation Slides Research Area(s): Implementation and Practice,Latent Print
Published: 2022 | By: Amanda Wilson
The following was presented at the 74th Annual Scientific Conference of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), Seattle, Washington, February 21-25, 2022.
Characterizing verification and blind proficiency testing at forensic laboratories
Type: Presentation Slides Research Area(s): Implementation and Practice,Latent Print
Published: 2022 | By: Maddisen Neuman
The 2014 Bureau of Justice survey of publicly funded forensic crime laboratories found that while 97% of the country’s 409 public forensic labs reported using some kind of proficiency testing, only 10% reported using blind tests (Burch et al, 2016).…
Likelihood Ratios for Categorical Evidence With Applications in Digital Evidence
Type: Presentation Slides Research Area(s): Digital,Forensic Statistics
Published: 2022 | By: Rachel Longjohn
The following poster was presented at the 74th Annual Scientific Conference of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), Seattle, Washington, February 21-25, 2022.
How do latent print examiners perceive blind proficiency testing? A survey of practicing examiners
Type: Presentation Slides Research Area(s): Implementation and Practice,Latent Print
Published: 2022 | By: Brett Gardner
The current study sought to explore perceptions of BPT among practicing latent print examiners and determine whether such beliefs varied between examiners who work for laboratories with and without BPT. Overall, opinions regarding the value of BPT to accurately assess…
Statistical support for weight of evidence determinations of handwriting evidence
Type: Presentation Slides Research Area(s): Forensic Statistics,Handwriting
Published: 2021 | By: Danica Ommen
Handwriting analysis is conducted through the expertise of Forensic Document Examiners (FDEs) by visually comparing writing samples. Through their training and years of experience, FDEs are able to recognize critical characteristics of writing to evaluate the evidence of writership. In…
Score-Based Likelihood Ratios for Camera Device Identification Using Cameras of the Same Brand for the Alternative Device Population
Type: Presentation Slides Research Area(s): Digital
Published: 2022 | By: Stephanie Reinders
Score-based likelihood ratios are a statistical method for quantifying the weight of evidence and have been used in many areas of forensics, including camera device identification1,2,3. Small sensor imperfections caused during manufacturing, called photo response non-uniformity4, leave identifying features, called…
Forensic Analysis on Cryptocurrency Wallet Apps
Type: Presentation Slides Research Area(s): Digital
Published: 2022 | By: Chen Shi
The following was presented at the 74th Annual Scientific Conference of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), Seattle, Washington, February 21-25, 2022.
Mobile steganography: Looking to the future
Type: Presentation Slides Research Area(s): Digital
Published: 2021 | By: Jennifer Newman
Humans have sent secret messages for millennia. A cousin to cryptography, steganography is the art and science of sending a secret message in the open by camouflaging the message carefully. Steganography can take many shapes, and its digital form often…
Ensemble of SLR Systems for Forensic Evidence
Type: Presentation Slides Research Area(s): Forensic Statistics,Statistics
Published: 2022 | By: Federico Veneri
Score-based likelihood ratios (SLR) have been used as an alternative to feature-based likelihood ratios when the construction of a probabilistic model becomes challenging or infeasible [1]. Although SLR has been shown to provide an alternative way to present a numeric…
Surveying Practicing Firearm Examiners
Type: Publication Research Area(s): Firearms and Toolmarks,Implementation and Practice
Published: 2022 | By: Nicholas Scurich
A sample (n = 79) of practicing firearm and toolmark examiners was queried about casework as well as their views about the potential role that statistics might play in future firearm examinations and expert witness testimony. Principal findings include: The…
Blind testing in firearms: Preliminary results from a blind quality control program
Type: Publication Research Area(s): Firearms and Toolmarks,Implementation and Practice
Published: 2022 | By: Maddisen Neuman
Open proficiency tests meet accreditation requirements and measure examiner competence but may not represent actual casework. In December 2015, the Houston Forensic Science Center began a blind quality control program in firearms examination. Mock cases are created to mimic routine…
Modeling covarying responses of forensic decision-makers within an IRT framework
Type: Presentation Slides Research Area(s): Forensic Statistics
Published: 2020 | By: Amanda Luby
Presented at Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM) 2020
Latent Print Quality in Blind Proficiency Testing: Using Quality Metrics to Examine Laboratory Performance
Type: Presentation Slides Research Area(s): Implementation and Practice,Latent Print
Published: 2021 | By: Brett Gardner
Presented at American Association of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) 2021
Evaluating the Reliability of Randomly Acquired Characteristics (RACs) Identification in Footwear Impression Evidence
Type: Presentation Slides Research Area(s): Footwear
Published: 2021 | By: Corey Katz
Presented at American Association of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) 2021
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