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.
Combustion without flame, usually with incandescence and smoke.
Scar, (needle) mark, and tattoo information.
A protective device to permit dry firing without damage to the firing pin.
Extraction of an audio signal from an original recording in a way that disrupts thecontinuity and time record of the original recording.
Aerosol waxes used to coat the surface of snow impressions prior to casting.
An accelerated plaster that is applied in a prescribed way and is capable of casting all forms of snowimpressions.
The exposure of canines to other canines, humans, and animals of different species during the sensitive period when they are best able to begin to learn about such stimuli.
The period of behavioral maturation that appears to be correlated, in species in which it has been studied, with changes in brain chemistry. Canines' temperaments can be considered relatively stable after this period, although learning continues. The broad range cited for social maturity is 12 to 36 months, and the narrow range cited is 18 to 24 months.
The legal entity or vendor company which created and/or provides a software program.
Confirmation, through the provision of objective evidence, derived from a series of documented tests, of the compliance of a software system with intended use and applicable guidelines.
Part of a software program. Programs are typically composed of one or more independently developed modules. Modules may be acquired as additions to a software program already in use, or they may be fully integrated into the software program (e.g., add-ins/plug-ins, and macros).
A set of instructions, modules or procedures, that allow for a certain type of computer operation. Interchangeable terms include software application and software product.
Individual trial designed to evaluate specific software functions.
Different categories of trials that comprise the software internal validation.
A method of isolating DNA from cells involving selective absorption to small silica or other particles/membranes, removal of non-DNA materials by washing, and release of DNA from the particles/membranes for analysis.
A solvent without analyte(s) or internal standard(s) of interest
Black particles of carbon produced in a flame.
(1) The point of origin of the odor/scent. (2) The skill is for the canine to locate the source by arriving at its threshold for that odor/scent, then uses different thresholds to reach a point where the odor/scent is located. When a canine reaches the source, it should make a final response as it has been conditioned to make.
The image, recording, or other signal from which a biometric type record (see derivedrepresentation) is derived. A source representation may be included as a Type-20 recordin a transaction.
Chipping or pitting of concrete or masonry surfaces.
A moving particle of solid material that emits radiant energy due either to its temperature or the process of combustion on its surface.
A vocalizing human, whether or not the vocalizations contain speech. An interlocutormight be a synthesized voice, which can be considered a speaker within the contextof this standard.
The fundamental unit of taxonomic classification. There is no singular species definition in biology. Essentially the term denotes a group of organisms with a unique shared evolutionary lineage.
A reference to studies generally performed during developmental validation of forensic testing assays to assess if non-targeted species are detected in an assay (e.g., detection of microbial DNA in a human assay). The detection of non-targeted species does not necessarily invalidate the use of the assay, but may help define the limitations of the assay.
Ability of a method to distinguish between the targeted analyte and other non-targeted substances.
Measures the proportion of actual negatives that are correctly identified as such.
The ratio of the average molecular weight of a gas or vapor to the average molecular weight of air, or the ratio of the density of a gas to the density of dry air at standard temperature and pressure.
The ratio of the mass of a given volume of a substance to the mass of an equal volume of water at a temperature of 4C.
Studies performed to assess the ability of the probabilistic genotyping system to support the absence of true non-contributors. A true non-contributor is an individual who is known not to contribute
Experiments performed to evaluate the ability of the system to provide reliable results for targeted analytes in the presence of cross-reactive substances.
A stated need or expectation. Specified requirements may be stated in normative documents such as regulations, standards and technical specifications.
A matrix sample collected from a specific origin for toxicological analysis. Examples include femoral or cardiac blood; left versus right eye vitreous fluid; and liver, brain, or kidney.
Spectral peaks other than characteristic peaks, produced during the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy detection process; examples include escape peaks and sum peaks.
An examination of the contribution of overlap in the emission spectrum of fluorescent dyes used for a specific DNA test on a capillary electrophoresis instrument; permits the color deconvolution necessary for multi-color STR typing or sequencing to be performed; a poor spectral calibration may cause artifact peaks or inaccurate peak height determinations.
Measure of the ability to distinguish between adjacent peaks in a spectrum; it is usually determined by measuring peak width at half the maximum value of the peak height or full-width half-maximum (FWHM).
Audible vocalizations made with the intent of communicating information throughlinguistic content. Nonsensical vocalizations with linguistic content will be consideredas speech (including singing and chanting). Speech can be made by humans, bymachine synthesizers, or by other means.
Sphere audio data format. Information is available atftp://jaguar.ncsl.nist.gov/pub/sphere_2.6a.tar.Z
A training exercise in which two subjects walk the same pathway and then split into two different directions. When the canine is presented with a scent article from one of the subjects, the canine commences to trail and associate the correct person to the scent article. Despite the contamination of scent from the other person on the trail the canine is still able to discriminate between scents and identify the correct subject
A training exercise in which two subjects walk the same pathway and then split into two different directions. When the canine is presented with a scent article from one of the subjects, the canine commences to trail and associate the correct person to the scent article. Despite the contamination of scent from the other person on the trail the canine is still able to discriminate between scents and identify the correct subject.
A training exercise in which two subjects walk the same pathway and then split into two different directions. When the canine is presented with a scent article from one of the subjects, the canine commences to trail and associate the correct person to the scent article. Despite the contamination of scent from the other person on the trail the canine is still able to discriminate between scents and identify the correct subject
Loss, destruction, or material alteration of an object or document that is evidence or potential evidence in a legal proceeding by one who has the responsibility for its preservation.
process whereby a material increases in temperature without drawing heat from its surroundings.
Initiation of combustion of a material by an internal chemical or biological reaction that has produced sufficient heat to ignite the material.
The tendency of a behavior in a canine to reappear after it has undergone extinction.