Human Forensic DNA Reporting Appendix Exemplar

Credit: NIST

OSAC Technical Guidance Document 0009

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Published: August 2025

Author: OSAC Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee

Executive Summary:

This publication is an OSAC Technical Series Publication rather than a standard or best practice recommendation. It offers guidance for reporting statements, limitations, and caveats to accompany reports containing DNA results and conclusions. This publication does not recommend or discourage particular procedures and practices. This publication aims to assist Forensic Science Service Providers in developing and refining statements to meet the needs of their laboratory, as well as any end users and readers of the technical reports. This information helps end users better comprehend the results and opinions in the report, especially as it pertains to the limitations of DNA results and what they do not mean.

 While this document directly applies to reporting data derived from autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) and Y-STR DNA methods and technologies, many of these concepts and suggested language can be applied to other DNA testing methodologies. 

The example statements are intended to be used as a starting point for a laboratory to develop, modify, and refine a report appendix (however named) whether attached directly to the report or made publicly available for the following categories:

• Case record and discovery
• Y(male)-screening method: Extraction & Quantitation only
• Extraction
• Quantitation
• Amplification and Detection
• Interpretation and Comparison
• Statistical Analysis
• Quality Assurance and Quality Control
• CODIS
• Y-STR Testing