Forensic Science

Forensic Science terms

1. Absolute Certainty ultimate sureness with no implication of possible change.
2. Accelerant an agent, often an ignitable liquid, that acts to initiate a fire or increase its rate of spread.
3. Accountability The principle that individuals using a facility or a computer system must be identifiable.
4. Accuracy Department of Defense parlance for the notion that information has been maintained and transferred in such a way as to be inviolate (the information has…
5. Acetone a colorless, highly flammable chemical compound used as an organic solvent, an ingredient in many lacquer thinner compounds and adhering liquids.
6. Administrative (or Laboratory Director) Case File Review a detailed final review of the case file documentation. A member other than the assigned analyst must conduct the Laboratory Director case file review on…
7. Administrative documentation records such as case related conversations, evidence receipts, description of evidence packaging and seals, and other pertinent information.
8. Algor mortis the postmortem cooling of the body.
9. Analyst A financial analyst tracks the performance of companies and industries, evaluates their potential value as investments, and makes recommendations on…
10. Analytical Data all case specific records such as notes, worksheets, graphs, spectra, printouts, computer data files, photographs, photocopies, microscopic slides and…
11. Analytical Procedure an orderly step-by-step process designed to ensure operational uniformity and to minimize systematic variability.
12. Ante mortem preceding death Antigens: foreign substances in the body that are capable of causing disease.
13. Arson the intentional and unlawful burning of a building or other property.
14. Asphyxiation a medical term for suffocation, which leads to lack of oxygen in the blood.
15. Assessment Charges levied against a property for tax purposes or to pay for municipal or association improvements such as curbs, sewers, or grounds maintenance.
16. Audit An audit is a professional, independent examination of a company's financial statements and accounting documents following generally accepted accounting…
17. Back spatter blood directed back toward the source of energy or force that caused the spatter; often associated with entrance gunshot wounds.
18. Ballistics branch of physics that deals with the flights of projectiles.
19. base pair combination of 2 nucleotides (A and T or G and C) held together by weak hydrogen bonds; the DNA double helix is formed when a base pair of nucleotides in…
20. Bile A fluid made by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Bile is excreted into the small intestine, where it helps digest fat.
21. Biology the science that studies living organisms.
22. Blind or Double-Blind Sample Technique a type of proficiency testing where the member is not aware that the sample/case under analysis is a quality assessment sample.
23. Blood borne pathogens pathogenic microorganisms in blood or other body fluids that can cause disease in people.
24. Bloodstain transfer resulting when liquid blood comes into contact with a surface.
25. Calibration the set of operations which establish, under specified conditions, the relationship between values indicated by a measuring instrument or measuring…
26. case file the hard copy case folder which contains all or part of the documentation forming the case record.
27. Case Management the approach for setting up a logical methodology for acceptance, analytical work, priority, transfer, and return related to work conducted.
28. Case Record all notes, reports, custody records, charts, analytical data, and any correspondence generated in the laboratory pertaining to a particular case, which…
29. Cause of death disease or injury that initiates the lethal train of events leading to death.
30. Cerebral edema the presence of a large amount of water in the spaces of the brain.
31. Certificate of Analysis a document that reports and certifies the test results of a product.
32. Certified Reference Material a reference material or standard whose property values are certified by a valid procedure or are accompanied by or traceable to a certificate or other…
33. Chain of Custody A process used to maintain and document the chronological history of electronic evidence.
34. Chemicals & Toxic Substance List a list of recognized chemicals and toxic substances present in the laboratory facilities.
35. Chromatogram the pattern of separated substances obtained by chromatography.
36. Chromatography a method for separating mixtures based on differences in the speed at which they migrate over or through a stationary phase.
37. CODIS administrator an employee of the laboratory responsible for administration and security of the laboratory’s CODIS at a laboratory that owns the database and/or known…
38. Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) (CODIS) a DNA database system
39. Competency test the evaluation of a person’s ability to perform work in any functional area prior to the performance of independent casework.
40. Congenital anomaly an abnormality, such as a spinal column defect, present at birth.
41. Contact wound a skin injury produced by a weapon in contact with or a fraction of an inch from the skin when discharged.
42. Continuing Education Courses short, defined periods of formal job-related instruction (including but not limited to professional meetings) provided to members of a Forensic Laboratory…
43. Control a test with predictable results performed with an experimental procedure to confirm the reliability of the experimental results.
44. Controlled Substance A narcotic or non-narcotic drug listed in one of the five schedules of controlled substances in Title 21 of the U.S. Code.
45. Coroner an elected official with death investigation duties.
46. Corroborating evidence Supplementary evidence that tends to strengthen or confirm the initial evidence.
47. Crime scene an area, object or person, external to a laboratory facility, from which evidence is identified, documented, collected, and/or interpreted.
48. Crime/Forensic Laboratory a laboratory (with at least one full-time scientist), which examines physical evidence in criminal matters and provides opinion testimony with respect to…
49. Criteria standards against which compliance is evaluated. The criteria are used to evaluate whether the laboratory activity meets the standard.
50. database In electronic records a database is a set of data elements consisting of at least one file, or of a group of integrated files, usually stored in one…
51. Database sample a sample obtained from an individual who is legally required to provide a DNA sample for databasing purposes and whose identity is established at the time…
52. deficiency (dih-FIH-shun-see) In medicine, a shortage of a substance (such as a vitamin or mineral) needed by the body.
53. Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) (DNA) a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses.
54. Desirable a defined standard, which has the least deleterious effect on the work product or the integrity of the evidence but which nevertheless, enhances the…
55. Detection Limit the lowest quantity of a substance that can be distinguished from the absence of that substance (a blank value) within a stated confidence limit.
56. Discipline a major forensic science area dealing with similar tests, examinations, or comparisons.
57. Discipline Standard Operating Procedures Manuals (SOP) manuals that concentrate on issues that are unique to a discipline or functional area.
58. Discrepancy any reported result, casework, or proficiency test, which differs from the consensus result.
59. Drift, Analytical the systematic or scientific variability in a method, test, or procedure where results gradually deviate from the norm or the expected range.
60. Drug Chemistry Section the discipline responsible for the analyzes of any substance seized under the state’s laws restricting the sale, manufacture, distribution and use of…
61. Drug Standards Inventory the physical accounting of drug standards used in the Chemistry and Toxicology Sections.
62. Duty a responsibility, task, etc., required by or relating to one’s occupation or position.
63. Electrophoresis a technique for the separation of charged molecules by migration on a support medium under the influence of an electrical charge.
64. Equivocal death manner of death (homicide, suicide, accident) remains undetermined after a complete investigation.
65. Error Rate the frequency at which one deviates or strays from a correct standard.
66. Essential a defined standard, which directly effects and has a fundamental impact on the work product of the laboratory or the integrity of the evidence.
67. Evidence (EV-uh-dins): Information that is collected in an orderly way about a disease or its treatment. This information often comes from research.
68. Evidence Inventory the physical accounting of evidence and records related thereto.
69. Evidence Submission Form form used to receive evidence into the laboratory and to initiate request for laboratory examinations or analyses.
70. Evidence Transfer a change in the possession of a custody item that must be documented in two specified locations (submitter and receiver).
71. Evidence Vault(s) a secured room or rooms for the storage of custody items.
72. Examinations (Evidential) the questioning, testing, comparing, or analyzing of a custody item in a prescribed manner that is helpful in forming a conclusion or judgment relative to…
73. Examinations (Training) objective evaluative instruments designed to measure job-related knowledge, skills or abilities and usually conducted in one or more of these formats…
74. exception the temporary suspension of some essential element of a policy, procedure, or requirement caused by circumstances that are expected to return to normal at…
75. Exsanguination bleeding to death.
76. External Proficiency Test an exam process/instrument prepared by an outside provider and used as a quality assessment sample.
77. False negative test result that states that an analyte is absent, when, in fact, it is present above the established limit of detection for the analyte in question.
78. false positive test result that states that an analyte is present, when, in fact, it is not present or, is present in an amount less than a threshold or designated…
79. Fire Debris a general term used to define the debris from a fire that is collected as evidence for laboratory examination.
80. Firearms and Toolmarks Section a discipline responsible for the comparison of firearms, casings, projectiles and other evidence that may be associated through toolmarks.
81. Forensic the application of scientific knowledge to legal problems.
82. Forensic biology the application of biology to law enforcement.
83. Forensic Pathology a branch of pathology concerned with determining the cause of death by examination of a corpse.
84. Forensic science the process of using science to resolve legal issues.
85. Forensic Toxicology a discipline of forensic science concerned with the study of toxic substances or poisons, of which there are many thousands.
86. Gas chromatography gas flowing through a coated tube separates compounds by their size, weight, and chemical reactivity with the coating of the tube or column.
87. gel support medium (agarose) that holds DNA molecules in place during the separation phase of electrophoresis.
88. Genetics (jeh-NEH-tix) The study of genes and heredity. Heredity is the passing of genetic information and traits (such as eye color and an increased chance of…
89. Goal a statement of purpose defining the mission or intended outcome.
90. Good Analytical Practice approved method to perform a specific analytical technique that influences the quality of the analysis.
91. Good Laboratory Practice an approved method to perform a basic operation, activity, or service in a laboratory which influences or enhances the quality of its output.
92. histology (his-TAH-loh-jee) The study of tissues and cells under a microscope.
93. Hypostasis the pooling of blood as it accumulates at the lowest parts of the body, being pulled down by gravity; is a method of determining the position of the body…
94. Hypothermia this situation occurs when the core temperature of one's body falls below normal.
95. Inspection a review or audit of areas, practices, procedures for compliance with existing policy.
96. Integrated Ballistics Information System (IBIS) (IBIS) a database used for acquiring, storing, and analyzing images of bullets and cartridge casings.
97. Internal Proficiency Test an exam process/instrument originating from within the laboratory system and used as a quality assessment sample.
98. Inventory a detailed accounting of all items within a specified location. Examples include but are not limited to: evidence in the evidence vault, evidence in the…
99. Known sample biological material whose identity or type is established. An example of a known sample is a sample contributed by the close biological relative of a…
100. Known Standard a specimen from an identified source acquired for the purpose of comparison with the evidence.