The Laboratory Report Project

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe National Academy of Sciences Committee on Forensic Science issued a report in 2009 that contained thirteen recommendations for improving forensic science. The second recommendation stated that forensic science laboratory reports should be uniform, comprehensive, and scientific in nature. In order to implement this recommendation, it was decided to survey U.S. public forensic science laboratories to obtain redacted laboratory reports in selected areas of forensic science and then analyze them for their content. A total of 421 laboratory reports were obtained from 38 forensic science laboratories. A set of 11 sections of possible content sections of a hypothetical scientific laboratory report were chosen and each of the reports received were categorized to see which sections were present. The results showed that the length, breadth, and depth of laboratory reports were somewhat influenced by the type of evidence being analyzed and the jurisdiction of the laboratory (federal, regional, state, loc...