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.
A linear regression of polynomial degree 2
a generic term for a four-legged camera support.
An adjective used to describe an individual who meets the requirements for the position, has successfully completed the laboratory's applicable training requirements, and is authorized to perform a specific task or role.1
chemical, analysis in which substances are identified or classified on the basis of their chemical or physical properties, such as chemical reactivity, solubility, molecular weight, melting point, radiative properties (emission, absorption), mass spectra, nuclear half-life, and so forth (see also quantitative analysis).
An assay designed to be more specific for targeted analytes and based on a different chemical principle than a screening method
An ordinal estimate of the usefulness of biometric data for the purpose of automatedrecognition.
That part of quality management focused on providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled.
all the planned and systematic activities implemented within the quality system, and demonstrated as needed, to provide adequate confidence that an entity will fulfill requirements for quality.
All the planned and systematic activities implemented within the quality system, and demonstrated as needed, to provide adequate confidence that an entity will fulfill requirements for quality.
Steps taken by an FSP to detect, correct, minimize and/or prevent nonconforming work.
That part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality requirements.
Materials used to prepare control samples including reference materials, certified reference materials, and blank matrix samples
A component of a quality assurance program that focuses on ensuring accuracy in laboratory test results through careful monitoring of test methods
Part of quality management focused on increasing the ability to fulfil quality requirements. The requirements can be related to any aspect such as effectiveness, efficiency, or traceability.
The coordinated activities to direct and control an organization with regard to quality. Direction and control with regard to quality generally includes establishment of the quality policy and quality objectives, quality planning, quality control, quality assurance, and quality improvement.
That part of quality management focused on setting quality objectives and specifying necessary operational processes and related resources to fulfil the quality objectives.
the minimum amount that can be quantitated with acceptable accuracy and precision.
chemical, analyses in which the amount or concentration of an analyte may be determined (estimated) and expressed as a numerical value in appropriate units.
Discussion—Qualitative analysis may take place without quantitative analysis, but quantitative analysis requires the identification (qualification) of the analytes for which numerical estimates are given.
any process used to extract measurable data from an image.
An assay designed to measure the concentration of an analyte within a sample
A means for quantifying the amount of nucleic acid present in a sample using PCR.
Property of a phenomenon, body, or substance, where the property has a magnitude that can be expressed as a number and a reference.
Number and reference together expressing magnitude of a quantity.
A systematic search of an area in a series of point-to-point patterns utilizing the wind to the canine's best advantage.
(n) The nucleotide or protein sequence that has an unknown source (i.e., evidence sequence), or (v) the action of searching an unknown sequence against a database.
The percent of the query sequence length that is included in the aligned segment with a hit.
associated with the matter under investigation about which there is some question, including, but not limited to, whether the questioned and known items have a common origin.
in image analysis and facial identification, an image of an individual or object whose identity is unknown or in question and has been recorded electronically or by other medium. (Compare known image.)
An item of unknown source (impression or otherwise) that is normally recovered from a crime scene.
An impression or image of friction ridge skin whose source or identity is unknown; it can include latent impressions, impressions from an unknown source or a known source.
An impression or image of friction ridge skin whose source or identity is unknown; it can include latent impressions, impressions from an unknown source or a known source.
An impression or image of friction ridge skin whose source or identity is unknown; it can include latent impressions, impressions from an unknown source or a known source.
geological evidence of unknown origin, or a questioned sample, typically consists of debris adhering to an evidentiary object (for example, tire, wheel well, garment, shoe, digging tool); exogenous soil left at a crime scene (transferred from a shoe/tire, or adhering to a re-buried body/object); or debris recovered from within a body (nasal, stomach, or lung contents).
material collected as or from items of evidence which have a known location but an unknown originating source.
Discussion—Soil evidence of unknown origin, or questioned soil sample, typically consists of: debris adhering to an evidentiary object or exhibit (for example, tire, wheel well, garment, shoe, digging tool); foreign soil left at a crime scene (for example, transferred from a shoe/tire, or adhering to a re-buried body/object); or debris recovered from on or within a body (for example, nasal, stomach, or lung contents).
a coating sample whose original source is unknown.
soil evidence of unknown origin, or questioned soil sample, typically consists of: debris adhering to an evidentiary object or exhibit (for example, tire, wheel well, garment, shoe, digging tool); exogenous soil left at a crime scene (for example, transferred from a shoe/tire, or adhering to a re-buried body/object); or debris recovered from within a body (for example, nasal, stomach, or lung contents).
A voice signal from an individual who is unknown and has not yet been linked to anypreviously encountered individual. Note: The task of speaker identification is to link aquestioned voice signal to a known voice signal through determination of a commonspeaker.
A multimedia framework developed by Apple, Inc. It allows the use of many differentcodec formats. The native file format for QuickTime video specifies a multimediacontainer file that contains one or more tracks. Each track either contains a digitallyencoded media stream using a specific format or a data reference to the media streamlocated in another file.
Electromagnetic transmission of heat energy; increases the sensible temperature of any substance capable of absorbing the radiation, especially solid and opaque objects.
Heat transfer by way of electromagnetic waves that are longer than visible light waves and shorter than radio waves.
An image produced on a sensitive plate or film by X-rays or similar radiation, and typically used in medical examination.
An image produced on a sensitive plate or film by x-rays or similar radiation, and typically used in medical examination range of motion.
a type of temporary data storage (memory) that can be read and changed while the computer is in use.
Discussion—Data stored in random-access memory is lost if the system loses power.
When the choice of something or the placement of something is random the source placed is equally likely to be either location.
The subconscious impulse on the part of the canine to rise in status within the pack social order
A Category 0 scoring function. See 4.2.4. A rank-score only scoring function is either non-quantified, inconsistent, or non-explainable.
the pattern scanned by the electron beam on a sample; the raster dimensions change inversely with magnification.