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.
Quadripod
Quadripod
a generic term for a four-legged camera support.
Committee
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
Qualified
Qualified
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
Committee
Human Forensic Biology
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB 022 Standard for Forensic DNA Analysis Training Programs. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2019.
Source link
qualified firearm examiner
qualified firearm examiner
Individual who has completed training in the discipline of firearm examinations and is currently authorized to perform work in this category of testing by a particular forensic science service provider.
Committee
Firearms & Toolmarks
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB Standard 124 Minimum Requirements and Recommendations for a Firearm and Toolmark Examiner Training Program. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 2025.
Source link
qualified toolmark examiner
qualified toolmark examiner
Individual who has completed training in the discipline of (non-firearm) toolmark examinations and is currently authorized to perform work in this category of testing by a particular forensic science service provider.
Committee
Firearms & Toolmarks
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB Standard 124 Minimum Requirements and Recommendations for a Firearm and Toolmark Examiner Training Program. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 2025.
Source link
Qualitative Analysis
Qualitative Analysis
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).
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
Qualitative Confirmation / Identification Method
Qualitative Confirmation / Identification Method
An assay designed to be more specific for targeted analytes and based on a different chemical principle than a screening method
Committee
Forensic Toxicology
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB 036 Standard Practices for Method Validation in Forensic Toxicology. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2019.
Source link
Quality
Quality
An ordinal estimate of the usefulness of biometric data for the purpose of automatedrecognition.
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
Quality Assurance
Quality Assurance
That part of quality management focused on providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled.
Committee
Interdisciplinary
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ISO 9000:2015 Quality management systems- Fundamentals and vocabulary. International Organization for Standardization BIBC II, Chemin de Blandonnet 8, CP 401, 1214 Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland, 2015.
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
Quality Assurance
Quality Assurance
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.
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
Quality Assurance (Qa)
Quality Assurance (Qa)
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.
Committee
Interdisciplinary
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004 Standardization and related activities -- General vocabulary. International Organization for Standardization BIBC II, Chemin de Blandonnet 8, CP 401, 1214 Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland, 2004.
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
quality assurance measures
quality assurance measures
Steps taken by an FSP to detect, correct, minimize and/or prevent nonconforming work.
Committee
Friction Ridge
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 144 Best Practice Recommendations for the Verification Component in Friction Ridge Examination. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 2022.
Source link
Quality Control
Quality Control
That part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality requirements.
Committee
Interdisciplinary
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ISO 9000:2015 Quality management systems- Fundamentals and vocabulary. International Organization for Standardization BIBC II, Chemin de Blandonnet 8, CP 401, 1214 Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland, 2015.
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
Quality Control Materials
Quality Control Materials
Materials used to prepare control samples including reference materials, certified reference materials, and blank matrix samples
Committee
Forensic Toxicology
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB 054 Standard for a Quality Control Program in Forensic Toxicology Laboratories. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2021.
Source link
Quality Control Program
Quality Control Program
A component of a quality assurance program that focuses on ensuring accuracy in laboratory test results through careful monitoring of test methods
Committee
Forensic Toxicology
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB 054 Standard for a Quality Control Program in Forensic Toxicology Laboratories. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2021.
Source link
Quality Improvement
Quality Improvement
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.
Committee
Interdisciplinary
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ISO 9000:2015 Quality management systems- Fundamentals and vocabulary. International Organization for Standardization BIBC II, Chemin de Blandonnet 8, CP 401, 1214 Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland, 2015.
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
Quality Management
Quality Management
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.
Committee
Interdisciplinary
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ISO 9000:2015 Quality management systems- Fundamentals and vocabulary. International Organization for Standardization BIBC II, Chemin de Blandonnet 8, CP 401, 1214 Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland, 2015.
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
Quality Planning
Quality Planning
That part of quality management focused on setting quality objectives and specifying necessary operational processes and related resources to fulfil the quality objectives.
Committee
Interdisciplinary
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ISO 9000:2015 Quality management systems- Fundamentals and vocabulary. International Organization for Standardization BIBC II, Chemin de Blandonnet 8, CP 401, 1214 Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland, 2015.
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
quantification
quantification
measurement of the number of items or the amount of an item or the amount of component within an item
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
Quantitation Limit
Quantitation Limit
the minimum amount that can be quantitated with acceptable accuracy and precision.
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
Quantitative Analysis
Quantitative Analysis
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.
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
Quantitative Image Analysis
Quantitative Image Analysis
any process used to extract measurable data from an image.
Committee
Facial & Iris Identification
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
Quantitative Method
Quantitative Method
An assay designed to measure the concentration of an analyte within a sample
Committee
Forensic Toxicology
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB 036 Standard Practices for Method Validation in Forensic Toxicology. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2019.
Source link
Quantitative Pcr (Qpcr)
Quantitative Pcr (Qpcr)
A means for quantifying the amount of nucleic acid present in a sample using PCR.
Committee
Human Forensic Biology
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB 116 Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Quantification Methods. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2020.
Source link
quantity
quantity
Property of a phenomenon, body, or substance, where the property has a magnitude that can be expressed as a number and a reference.
Committee
Forensic Toxicology
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB 017 Standard for Metrological Traceability in Forensic Toxicology. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2025.
Source link
quantity value
quantity value
Number and reference together expressing magnitude of a quantity.
Committee
Forensic Toxicology
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB 017 Standard for Metrological Traceability in Forensic Toxicology. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2025.
Source link
Quartering
Quartering
A systematic search of an area in a series of point-to-point patterns utilizing the wind to the canine's best advantage.
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
query
query
(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.
Committee
Wildlife Forensic Biology
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB 180 Standard for the Selection and Evaluation of GenBank® Results for Taxonomic Assignment of Wildlife . AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO , 2024.
Source link
query coverage
query coverage
The percent of the query sequence length that is included in the aligned segment with a hit.
Committee
Wildlife Forensic Biology
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB 180 Standard for the Selection and Evaluation of GenBank® Results for Taxonomic Assignment of Wildlife . AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO , 2024.
Source link
question of source
question of source
question of whether two or more items have the same origin or have different origins, or who or what the origin of an item is
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
Questioned
Questioned
An item of unknown source (impression or otherwise).
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
Questioned
Questioned
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.
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
Questioned Image
Questioned Image
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.)
Committee
Facial & Iris Identification
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
Questioned Impression
Questioned Impression
An item of unknown source (impression or otherwise) that is normally recovered from a crime scene.
Committee
Footwear & Tire
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 021 Best Practices for the Preparation of Test Impressions from Footwear and Tires. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2019.
Source link
questioned impression (also questioned image or questioned item)
questioned impression (also questioned image or questioned item)
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.
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
questioned impression (also questioned image or questioned item)
questioned impression (also questioned image or questioned item)
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.
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
questioned impression (also questioned image or questioned item)
questioned impression (also questioned image or questioned item)
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.
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
Questioned Sample
Questioned Sample
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).
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
Questioned sample
Questioned sample
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).
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
Questioned Sample
Questioned Sample
a coating sample whose original source is unknown.
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
Questioned soil sample
Questioned soil sample
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).
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
Questioned Voice Signal
Questioned Voice Signal
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.
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
Quicktime
Quicktime
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.
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
Radial Ply Tire
Radial Ply Tire
A tire whose plies run from bead to bead at right angles to the centerline of the tread.
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
Radiant Heat
Radiant Heat
Electromagnetic transmission of heat energy; increases the sensible temperature of any substance capable of absorbing the radiation, especially solid and opaque objects.
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
Radiation
Radiation
Heat transfer by way of electromagnetic waves that are longer than visible light waves and shorter than radio waves.
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
Radiograph (X_Ray)
Radiograph (X_Ray)
An image produced on a sensitive plate or film by X-rays or similar radiation, and typically used in medical examination.
Committee
Dogs & Sensors
Date Added to Lexicon
Standard Source (Designation Number Title of Standard. Publisher, Place, Year.)
ANSI/ASB 085 Standard for Detection Canine Selection, Kenneling, and Healthcare. AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB), 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, 2021.
Source link
Radiograph (X-Ray)
Radiograph (X-Ray)
An image produced on a sensitive plate or film by x-rays or similar radiation, and typically used in medical examination range of motion.
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
Random Access Memory, RAM
Random Access Memory, RAM
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.
Committee
Facial & Iris Identification
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
Random/Randomized
Random/Randomized
When the choice of something or the placement of something is random the source placed is equally likely to be either location.
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
Randomly Acquired Characteristic
Randomly Acquired Characteristic
A feature on a footwear outsole or tire tread resulting from interaction with an object(s) including, but not limited to: cuts, scratches, tears, holes, stone holds, abrasions and the acquisition of debris. The position, orientation, size and shape of these characteristics differentiate a footwear outsole or tire tread from other footwear outsoles or tire tread with similar class characteristics. Randomly acquired characteristics are essential for an identification of a particular item of footwear or tire as the source of an impression.
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.
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