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.
Elution
Elution
the process of removing an adsorbed substance from an adsorbent by a solvent.
Discussion—This term can also refer to the process of a sample passing through a chromatographic stationary phase under the influence of a mobile phase.
Committee
Ignitable Liquids, Explosives & Gunshot Residue
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science. ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428, 2025.
Source link
Reprinted, with permission, from ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. A copy of the complete standard is available from ASTM International, https://www.astm.org
embellishments
embellishments
Flourishes, ornaments, paraphs, rubrics and underscores. It adds or extends strokes that are easily executed and are not essential to the recognition of the character or the word. (NIST HF)
Committee
Forensic Document Examination
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ASB Technical Report 071 Forensic Document Examination: Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 2025.
Source link
embossment variation
embossment variation
Nonuniformity of the dry seal impression on the paper stock. It can be caused by the manner of application or by defects in the dry seal. (SWGDOC E08)
Committee
Forensic Document Examination
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ASB Technical Report 071 Forensic Document Examination: Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 2025.
Source link
emission (of radiation)
emission (of radiation)
Release of radiant energy. (CIE S 017/E:2011 ILV)
Committee
Forensic Document Examination
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ASB Technical Report 071 Forensic Document Examination: Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 2025.
Source link
Empirical Data
Empirical Data
Factual data that is based on actual measurement, observation or direct sensory experience rather than on theory.
Committee
Fire & Explosion Investigation
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
NFPA 921:2021 Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA, 2021.
Source link
empty magnification
empty magnification
Occurs when the image continues to be enlarged, but no additional detail is resolved.
Committee
Forensic Document Examination
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ASB Technical Report 071 Forensic Document Examination: Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 2025.
Source link
Emulsion
Emulsion
a stable mixture of two or more immiscible liquids held in suspension by small percentages of substances called emulsifiers.
Committee
Trace Materials
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science. ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428, 2025.
Source link
Reprinted, with permission, from ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. A copy of the complete standard is available from ASTM International, https://www.astm.org
Emulsion Explosive
Emulsion Explosive
a class of high explosive consisting of liquid solutions of an oxidizer, fuel, and water blended with a sensitizer and an emulsifier.
Committee
Ignitable Liquids, Explosives & Gunshot Residue
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science. ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428, 2025.
Source link
Reprinted, with permission, from ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. A copy of the complete standard is available from ASTM International, https://www.astm.org
Endian (Big Or Little)
Endian (Big Or Little)
The order of significance in a number. Big endian places the most significant byte (ordigit) first. Little endian places the most significant byte (or digit) last. Humans tend torepresent numbers as big-endian, with 10 representing ten and not one.
Committee
Interdisciplinary
Speaker Recognition
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/NIST-ITL 1-2011 Update:2015 Data Format for the Interchange of Fingerprint, Facial & Other Biometric Information. ANSI/National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2011.
Source link
Endoparasite
Endoparasite
An organism that lives in (internal) another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense.
Committee
Dogs & Sensors
Date Added to Lexicon
Technical Report/Other Source (Author, Title of report. Publisher, Year.)
ANSI/Academy Standards Board (ASB), Crime Scene/Death Investigation - Dogs and Sensors - Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2017.
Source link
Energetic
Energetic
an explosive compound used to enhance the burning rate of a powder.
Committee
Ignitable Liquids, Explosives & Gunshot Residue
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science. ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428, 2025.
Source link
Reprinted, with permission, from ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. A copy of the complete standard is available from ASTM International, https://www.astm.org
Energetic Material
Energetic Material
any mixture or single material able to rapidly release energy upon initiation.
Committee
Ignitable Liquids, Explosives & Gunshot Residue
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science. ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428, 2025.
Source link
Reprinted, with permission, from ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. A copy of the complete standard is available from ASTM International, https://www.astm.org
Energy
Energy
A property of matter manifested as an ability to perform work, either by moving an object against a force or by transferring heat.
Committee
Fire & Explosion Investigation
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
NFPA 921:2021 Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA, 2021.
Source link
Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (EDS, EDXA, EDX)
Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (EDS, EDXA, EDX)
X-ray spectroscopy based on the simultaneous measurement of the energies of X-rays emitted by a sample.
Committee
Trace Materials
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science. ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428, 2025.
Source link
Reprinted, with permission, from ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. A copy of the complete standard is available from ASTM International, https://www.astm.org
Enhance
Enhance
in audio, image, and video analysis, to improve the perceptual recognition or quality of a signal of interest.
Committee
Facial & Iris Identification
Digital Evidence
Video/Imaging Technology & Analysis
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science. ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428, 2025.
Source link
Reprinted, with permission, from ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. A copy of the complete standard is available from ASTM International, https://www.astm.org
Enhancement
Enhancement
Improving the visibility of an impression through physical, photographic, digital, optical, or chemical means
Committee
Footwear & Tire
Date Added to Lexicon
Technical Report/Other Source (Author, Title of report. Publisher, Year.)
ASB TR 097, Terminology Used for Forensic Footwear and Tire Evidence. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2019.
Source link
Enhancement
Enhancement
In audio, image, and video analysis, the process of improving the perceptual recognition or quality of a signal of interest.
Committee
Facial & Iris Identification
Digital Evidence
Video/Imaging Technology & Analysis
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science. ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428, 2025.
Source link
Reprinted, with permission, from ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. A copy of the complete standard is available from ASTM International, https://www.astm.org
enhancement
enhancement
A process to reveal, intensify, magnify, or clarify an observation. Image enhancement is the process of adjusting a digital image, making it more suitable for display or further image analysis. For example, sharpening or brightening an image.
Committee
Forensic Document Examination
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ASB Technical Report 071 Forensic Document Examination: Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 2025.
Source link
Enroll
Enroll
to capture a biometric sample, extract the relevant features, convert them to a template, and use it to form a reference for matching.
Discussion—Enrollment most often is performed to populate a gallery, but it can also refer to the creation of a probe.
Committee
Facial & Iris Identification
Digital Evidence
Video/Imaging Technology & Analysis
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science. ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428, 2025.
Source link
Reprinted, with permission, from ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. A copy of the complete standard is available from ASTM International, https://www.astm.org
Entire Joint Image (EJI)
Entire Joint Image (EJI)
An exemplar image containing all four full-finger views for a single finger.(See Figure 4)
Committee
Interdisciplinary
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/NIST-ITL 1-2011 Update:2015 Data Format for the Interchange of Fingerprint, Facial & Other Biometric Information. ANSI/National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2011.
Source link
Entrainment
Entrainment
The process of air or gases being drawn into a fire, plume, or jet.
Committee
Fire & Explosion Investigation
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
NFPA 921:2021 Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA, 2021.
Source link
Environmental Conditioning
Environmental Conditioning
See acclimation.
Committee
Dogs & Sensors
Date Added to Lexicon
Technical Report/Other Source (Author, Title of report. Publisher, Year.)
ANSI/Academy Standards Board (ASB), Crime Scene/Death Investigation - Dogs and Sensors - Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2017.
Source link
environmental control
environmental control
specimen(s) used to demonstrate that the collection or analysis environment is free of pGSR.
Committee
Ignitable Liquids, Explosives & Gunshot Residue
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science. ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428, 2025.
Source link
Reprinted, with permission, from ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. A copy of the complete standard is available from ASTM International, https://www.astm.org
Environmental Enrichment
Environmental Enrichment
The process of improving the mental and physical welfare of animals by providing behavioral choices through enhancements to their environment.
Committee
Dogs & Sensors
Date Added to Lexicon
Technical Report/Other Source (Author, Title of report. Publisher, Year.)
ANSI/Academy Standards Board (ASB), Crime Scene/Death Investigation - Dogs and Sensors - Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2017.
Source link
Environmental Soundness
Environmental Soundness
The ability of the canine to work, maneuver, search and rest in various conditions of noise, odor, surfaces without demonstrating fear or anxiety.
Committee
Dogs & Sensors
Date Added to Lexicon
Technical Report/Other Source (Author, Title of report. Publisher, Year.)
ANSI/Academy Standards Board (ASB), Crime Scene/Death Investigation - Dogs and Sensors - Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2017.
Source link
Environmental Training/Testing
Environmental Training/Testing
Instruction and evaluation procedures used to teach a canine to work, and determine whether a canine can work, in a variety of operational environments with increasing biological and physical complexity, which may distract or inhibit the canine from work. The training and testing, respectively, are designed to teach the canine to work, and assure that the canine can work, in a variety of operational environments, some of which may be extreme.
Committee
Dogs & Sensors
Date Added to Lexicon
Technical Report/Other Source (Author, Title of report. Publisher, Year.)
ANSI/Academy Standards Board (ASB), Crime Scene/Death Investigation - Dogs and Sensors - Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2017.
Source link
Enzyme
Enzyme
A catalytic protein that can speed up a specific chemical reaction without being changed or consumed in the process.
Committee
Human Forensic Biology
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB 023 Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Isolation and Purification Methods. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2020.
Source link
epsilon (ε)
epsilon (ε)
any vibration direction in the plane of the c axis for uniaxial crystals.
Committee
Interdisciplinary
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science. ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428, 2025.
Source link
Reprinted, with permission, from ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. A copy of the complete standard is available from ASTM International, https://www.astm.org
Equipment
Equipment
set of laboratory tools, apparatus, and hardware used to process test items (for example, ovens, beakers, pipettes, vortexers, fume hoods, etc.).
Committee
Interdisciplinary
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science. ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428, 2025.
Source link
Reprinted, with permission, from ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. A copy of the complete standard is available from ASTM International, https://www.astm.org
erasure
erasure
The area where material has been removed from a document by chemical, abrasive, or other means. (SWGDOC E03) (ANSI/ASB 035)
Committee
Forensic Document Examination
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ASB Technical Report 071 Forensic Document Examination: Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 2025.
Source link
Escape Peak
Escape Peak
a spectral artifact resulting from incomplete deposition of the energy of an X-ray entering the energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer detector.
Discussion—An escape peak is produced when an incoming X-ray excites a silicon atom within the detector crystal, and the resulting Si Kα fluorescence X-ray exits the detector crystal. It occurs at the energy for the original X-ray minus the energy of the Si Kα fluorescence X-ray (1.74 keV). The escape peak intensity is about 1-2 % of the parent peak.
Committee
Trace Materials
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science. ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428, 2025.
Source link
Reprinted, with permission, from ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. A copy of the complete standard is available from ASTM International, https://www.astm.org
Escape Peak
Escape Peak
a peak resulting from incomplete deposition of the energy of an X-ray entering the energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer detector.
Discussion—This peak is produced when an incoming X-ray excites a silicon atom within the detector crystal, and the resulting Si K-α fluorescence X-ray exits the detector crystal. It occurs at the principal peak energy minus the energy of the Si K-α fluorescence X-ray (1.74 keV). The escape peak intensity is about 1 to 2 % of the parent peak.
Committee
Trace Materials
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science. ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428, 2025.
Source link
Reprinted, with permission, from ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. A copy of the complete standard is available from ASTM International, https://www.astm.org
Escape Training
Escape Training
A conditioning technique in which the subject canine learns to escape or terminate an unpleasant stimulus.
Committee
Dogs & Sensors
Date Added to Lexicon
Technical Report/Other Source (Author, Title of report. Publisher, Year.)
ANSI/Academy Standards Board (ASB), Crime Scene/Death Investigation - Dogs and Sensors - Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2017.
Source link
Escape/Escape Behavior
Escape/Escape Behavior
The relationship between a performance and an aversive stimulus in which the performance terminates the aversive stimulus.
Committee
Dogs & Sensors
Date Added to Lexicon
Technical Report/Other Source (Author, Title of report. Publisher, Year.)
ANSI/Academy Standards Board (ASB), Crime Scene/Death Investigation - Dogs and Sensors - Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2017.
Source link
estimate/estimation
estimate/estimation
An approximation derived from a statistical sample of a population.
Committee
Forensic Anthropology
Date Added to Lexicon
Technical Report/Other Source (Author, Title of report. Publisher, Year.)
ASB Technical Report 214, Forensic Anthropology: Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 2026.
Source link
Estimated Age Interval
Estimated Age Interval
The estimated age interval expresses the mathematically determined minimum and maximum associated age range at a particular level of uncertainty.
Committee
Forensic Odontology
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ADA 1077-2020 Human Age Assessment by Dental Analysis. American Dental Association (ADA), 211 East Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL, 60611, 2020.
Source link
Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (Eva)
Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (Eva)
A soling compound often produced in an expanded form.
Committee
Footwear & Tire
Date Added to Lexicon
Technical Report/Other Source (Author, Title of report. Publisher, Year.)
ASB TR 097, Terminology Used for Forensic Footwear and Tire Evidence. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2019.
Source link
euhedral
euhedral
well-formed crystals bounded by plane faces.
Committee
Interdisciplinary
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science. ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428, 2025.
Source link
Reprinted, with permission, from ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. A copy of the complete standard is available from ASTM International, https://www.astm.org
evaluation
evaluation
The process of assessing similarities and dissimilarities in characteristics for the purposes of association or dissociation.
Committee
Forensic Document Examination
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ASB Technical Report 071 Forensic Document Examination: Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 2025.
Source link
evaluation (phase of the examination process)
evaluation (phase of the examination process)
The weighting of the aggregate strength of the evidence (observed similarities and dissimilarities when considering two competing propositions) between the observed data in the friction ridge impressions being compared in order to formulate a source conclusion.
Committee
Friction Ridge
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB 015 Standard for Examining Friction Ridge Impressions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 2024.
Source link
evaluation (phase of the examination process)
evaluation (phase of the examination process)
The weighting of the aggregate strength of the evidence (observed similarities and dissimilarities when considering two competing propositions) between the observed data in the friction ridge impressions being compared in order to formulate a source conclusion.
Committee
Friction Ridge
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 166 Best Practice Recommendation for Comparison and Evaluation of Friction Ridge Impressions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 2024.
Source link
evaluation (phase of the examination process)
evaluation (phase of the examination process)
The weighting of the aggregate strength of the evidence (observed similarities and dissimilarities when considering two competing propositions) between the observed data in the friction ridge impressions being compared in order to formulate a source conclusion.
Committee
Friction Ridge
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 165 Best Practice Recommendation for Analysis of Friction Ridge Impressions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 2024.
Source link
evaluation (phase of the examination process)
evaluation (phase of the examination process)
The weighting of the aggregate strength of the evidence (observed similarities and dissimilarities when considering two competing propositions) between the observed data in the friction ridge impressions being compared in order to formulate a source conclusion.
Committee
Friction Ridge
Date Added to Lexicon
Technical Report/Other Source (Author, Title of report. Publisher, Year.)
ASB Technical Report 012, Technical Report on the Articulation of the Reasoning and Foundational Principles Behind Friction Ridge Examinations. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 2025.
Source link
evaluative interpretation
evaluative interpretation
interpretation guided by a set of relevant propositions and aimed at generating likelihood ratios
Note 1 to entry: Evaluative interpretation can be used in a judicial setting or in an investigation.
Committee
Interdisciplinary
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ISO 21043-1:2025 Forensic sciences — Part 1: Vocabulary. International Organization for Standardization BIBC II, Chemin de Blandonnet 8, CP 401, 1214 Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland, 2025.
Source link
Reprinted, with permission, from ISO, copyright International Organization for Standardization, 1214 Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland. A copy of the complete standard may be purchased from ISO, https://www.iso.org/store.html
Evaluator
Evaluator
An individual with relevant training and experience in the discipline being evaluated, who assesses the performance of canine, canine handler, or canine team while showing no bias or partiality. (See certifying official/assessor.)
Committee
Dogs & Sensors
Date Added to Lexicon
Technical Report/Other Source (Author, Title of report. Publisher, Year.)
ANSI/Academy Standards Board (ASB), Crime Scene/Death Investigation - Dogs and Sensors - Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2017.
Source link
Evaporation
Evaporation
the change of a substance from the liquid phase to the gaseous or vapor phase, which can occur at or below the normal boiling point of the liquid.
Committee
Ignitable Liquids, Explosives & Gunshot Residue
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science. ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428, 2025.
Source link
Reprinted, with permission, from ASTM E1732 Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. A copy of the complete standard is available from ASTM International, https://www.astm.org
Evidence
Evidence
A body of facts, information, or material objects indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.
Committee
Crime Scene Investigation & Reconstruction
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB 160 Best Practice Recommendation for Initial Response at Scenes by Law Enforcement Officers. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904 , 2024.
Source link
Evidence
Evidence
A body of facts, information, or material objects indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.
Committee
Dogs & Sensors
Date Added to Lexicon
Technical Report/Other Source (Author, Title of report. Publisher, Year.)
ANSI/Academy Standards Board (ASB), Crime Scene/Death Investigation - Dogs and Sensors - Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2017.
Source link
evidence
evidence
(See item.)
Committee
Forensic Document Examination
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ASB Technical Report 071 Forensic Document Examination: Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 2025.
Source link
Evidence Search
Evidence Search
The process of a canine locating and indicating items that contain a trained odor/human scent. This may be non-specific or targeted based on the discipline. (See article search.)
Committee
Dogs & Sensors
Date Added to Lexicon
Technical Report/Other Source (Author, Title of report. Publisher, Year.)
ANSI/Academy Standards Board (ASB), Crime Scene/Death Investigation - Dogs and Sensors - Terms and Definitions. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2017.
Source link