OSAC Lexicon
The OSAC Lexicon is a compendium of forensic science terms and definitions. This terminology tool was created to help bring consistency and understanding to the way terms are used by the various forensic science. Use of the OSAC Lexicon does not replace the need to reference the original published source.
The terms and definitions in the OSAC Lexicon come from the published literature, including documentary standards and technical reports. It is continually updated with the latest work from OSAC units, as well as terms from newly published documentary standards and standards elevated to the OSAC Registry.
Gradually terms are evaluated and harmonized by the OSAC to a single term. This process results in an OSAC Preferred Term. An OSAC Preferred Term is a term, along with its definition, that has undergone review and evaluation by the FSSB Terminology Task Group and has been approved by the FSSB. The FSSB recommends that subcommittees use OSAC Preferred Terms when drafting standards.
The OSAC Lexicon should be the primary resource for terminology and used when drafting and editing forensic science standards and other OSAC work products.
Decision Point
An administratively defined cutoff or concentration that is at or above the methods limit of detection or limit of quantitation and is used to discriminate between positive and negative results.
Decision Point
An administratively defined cutoff or concentration that is at or above the methods limit of detection or limit of quantitation and is used to discriminate between positive and negative results.
decision point
administratively defined cutoff concentration that is at or above the method’s analytical detection limit
Decision Rule
rule that describes how measurement uncertainty is accounted for when stating conformity with aspecified requirement.
Declaration
First-party attestation.
Decomposition Fluids
Fluids associated with the human body decay process that produces a distinctive odor.
Decompositional Changes
Decoy (Apprehension)
The decoy should always be under the control of the canine trainer for the exercise. The canine trainer will tell the decoy how he/she is to behave throughout the training exercise, while in the presence of the canine(s) being trained. Given the proper equipment, the decoy will manipulate the canine's behavior according to the canine trainer through agitation, body movement (toward, away from and perpendicular to the canine's position), posture, noises, etc. The decoy may also provide the canine with a bite, by presenting a part of the body.
Decoy (Non-Target Odor/Scent)
A training term, most commonly associated with patrol work but the term can be used in other canine training disciplines. A person will perform the role as a decoy. Multiple people can be used if more than one decoy is needed for the training exercise. (See distractor.)
Decoy (Patrol)
The decoy should always be under the control of the canine trainer for the exercise. The canine trainer will tell the decoy how he/she is to behave throughout the training exercise, while in the presence of the canine(s) being trained. Given the proper equipment, the decoy will manipulate the canine's behavior according to the canine trainer through agitation, body movement (toward, away from and perpendicular to the canine's position), posture, noises, etc. The decoy may also present themselves for apprehension by the canine.
Deductive Reasoning
The process by which conclusions are drawn by logical inference from given premises.
defect
A generic term for any surface damage.
defect, subclass
A feature not determined prior to manufacture that is an unintended deviation from a class characteristic, which is present in a particular form in all members of a definable sub-group of items within a class, generally caused by one or more Randomly Acquired Characteristics (RAC) of the tool(s) or equipment producing the items while in the same approximate condition.
Defense/Defensive Behavior
Behavior exhibited by canines to protect themselves and, or their canine handler when faced with a perceived or real threat.
Deflagration
Deflagration
Propagation of a combustion zone at a velocity that is less than the speed of sound in the unreacted medium. [68, 2018]
deflection
A change in the nominal path of a projectile due to an impact.
Degradation
The fragmenting, or breakdown, of DNA by chemical, physical, or biological means.
Degradation
The fragmenting, or breakdown, of DNA by chemical, physical, or biological means.
Degradation
The fragmenting, or breakdown, of DNA by chemical, physical, or biological means.
Degree Of Wear
Deinterlace
delamination
A separation of cortical and cancellous bone.
Delayed Reinforcement
The interval between the performance of a behavior and the delivery of reinforcement
Delustrant
Density
The mass of a substance per unit volume, usually specified at standard temperature and pressure. The density of water is approximately one gram per cubic centimeter. The density of air is approximately 1.275 grams per cubic meter.
Dental Age Assessment
The processes used to produce an estimation of an individual's biologic age using dental data and subsequently correlate biologic age to chronologic age.
Dental Age Estimation
The estimated mean age and the corresponding distribution of ages that result from dental age assessment.
Dental Age Estimation Technique
A method used for age assessment.
Dental Data
Dental age assessment involves analysis of available dental data of an individual in her/his current state. The term prior data' refers to data collected when that individual was in a previously known and documented circumstance and does not mean a specific point in time. The term current data' refers to the available data for the individual or remains in her/his current state. For a deceased individual requiring age assessment, the current data is referred to as postmortem data. For a living individual requiring age assessment, the data is simply referred to as prior dental data and current dental data.
dental development
Growth and maturation of the dentition, including enamel mineralization, crown, and root formation.
Dental Emergence (Eruption)
The process of tooth migration from its initial position in its bony crypt through the gingival tissue and into the occlusal plane.
dental eruption
The process of tooth migration from its initial position in its bony crypt through the alveolar bone, the gingival tissue, and toward the occlusal plane.
NOTE For the purpose of forensic anthropology, most methods consider only eruption through the alveolar bone.
Dental Stone
Dentition
Pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, it is the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age. That is, the number, type, and morpho-physiology (the physical shape) of the teeth of an animal.
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
A genetic material of organisms, usually double-stranded, a biopolymer composed of nucleic acids, identified by the presence of deoxyribose, a sugar, and the four nucleobases. DNA is a stable molecule; variations in the DNA sequence between individuals permits DNA testing to distinguish individuals from each other.
Dependent Variable
The variable whose value depends on that of other variables (independent variables). Typically, the variable of interest in an experiment or test.
Deployment
Assignment of a canine team in an operational environment.
Deployment Record Or Utilization Record
A record of the deployment and/or utilization of a trained canine team, maintained separately from other records, i.e., training, assessments or certifications. A record documenting the deployment and/or utilization of the canine team, especially an account of an act or occurrence kept in writing or some other permanent form, i.e., electronic format, which is discoverable. (See record, discipline-related deployment record.)
Deployment Validation
The demonstration that a developmentally-validated technology performs as expected within aspecific laboratory or organization. It involves the acquisition of test data using the proposedmethods and procedures to demonstrate that the expected outcome is reproducible and achievesreliable results.
deposition
Providing sworn testimony typically outside of a courtroom as part of discovery.
depositional environment
The combination of physical, chemical, biological, and cultural processes associated with a deposit in a particular type of environment that may contain human remains.
depositional environment
The combination of physical, chemical, biological, and cultural processes associated with a deposit in a particular type of environment that may contain human remains.
Deprecated
The record type / field / subfield / information item / value / file shall not be used whenclaiming conformance to this version of the standard. (different than 'legacy' )
Deprivation
The restriction of access to something desired by the canine such as food, social companions, or toys.
Derived Representation
Biometric type record derived from a Type-20 source representation record, which maybe another Type-20 record from which other biometric type records are derived.
descender
A stroke that extends below the baseline of the body of the letter formation. (SWGDOC T01)