U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Proficiency tests to estimate error rates in the forensic sciences

NCJ Number
304346
Journal
Law Probability & Risk Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Dated: 1013 Pages: 89-98
Author(s)
J. Koehler
Date Published
2013
Length
10 pages
Annotation

This article calls for the implementation of proficiency tests that are designed and administered for the express purpose of providing factfinders with reasonable first pass estimates of error rates across forensic disciplines and techniques.

Abstract

The reliability and probative value of forensic science evidence is inextricably linked to the rates at which examiners make errors. Jurors and others cannot rationally assess the significance of a reported forensic science match without having some information about the rate at which false positive errors occur. This article notes that the reliability and probative value of forensic science evidence is inextricably linked to the rates at which examiners make errors. Jurors and others cannot rationally assess the significance of a reported forensic science match without having some information about the rate at which false positive errors occur. (Publisher Abstract)