Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Bulletin: Major development; Analysis of scientific bases for ten forensic disciplines announced by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): Bloodstain Pattern Analysis; Digital Evidence; Fire Investigations; Firearms and Toolmarks/Ballistics; Footwear and Tire Tracks; Forensic Odontology - Bitemark Analysis; Latent Fingerprints; Trace Evidence-Fibers; Trace Evidence - Hair; Trace Evidence - Paint & Other coatings; Analysis intended "to determine what existing research supports current practice as well as what additional research would strengthen the scientific foundation of each field."

"The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) announced that it will begin conducting an analysis of the scientific bases for ten forensic disciplines. Through funding from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, AAAS plans to review the current scientific studies regarding the procedures and testimony of forensic experts. This analysis is a direct response to some members of the National Commission on Forensic Science’s comment that further study is needed to ensure that forensic science meets Daubert’s requirements for validity and reliability in expert testimony. In 2009, the National Academy of Sciences released a report entitled Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward which found that “forensic science disciplines suffer from an inadequate research base: Few forensic scientists have the opportunity to conduct research, few academics are positioned to undertake such research, and, importantly, the funding for forensic research is insufficient.” p. 187. The AAAS analysis will be conduction quality and gap analysis of the following forensic fields in order to determine what existing research supports current practice as well as what additional research would strengthen the scientific foundation of each field: "Bloodstain Pattern Analysis; Digital Evidence; Fire Investigations; Firearms and Toolmarks/Ballistics;  Footwear and Tire Tracks; Forensic Odontology- Bitemark Analysis; Latent Fingerprints; Trace Evidence- Fibers; Trace Evidence- Hair, and  Trace Evidence- Paint & Other coatings."
https://ncforensics.wordpress.com/2015/06/29/aaas-responds-to-the-nass-call-for-research-backing-forensic-science/
Wikipedia informs us that the American Association for the Advancement of Science  is "an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the betterment of all humanity. It is the world's largest general scientific society, with 126,995 individual and institutional members at the end of 2008,[ and is the publisher of the well-known scientific journal Science, which has a weekly circulation of 138,549."
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Science