Towards a conceptual model for promoting digital forensics experiments

Abstract

Experimentation is one of the foundations for scientific evolution from the empirical point of view. Conducting experiments contributes to strengthen evidence of a given field mainly based on provided data and results, corroborated by repetitions, replications or reproducibility of an experiment, which altogether confirms or rejects pre-established hypotheses. Therefore, the proper conduction, documentation and dissemination of such experiments are essential to enable reproducibility. In this paper, we present ExperDF-CM, a conceptual model that aims to assist Digital Forensics researchers on planning, executing, analyzing and disseminating experiments. Such conceptual model was built based on almost two hundred analyzed Digital Forensics experiment papers and is mainly organized in five elements: Planning, Pre-Operation, Operation, Analysis and Interpretation, and Dissemination. We evaluated the conceptual model based on an evaluation survey and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with researchers and practitioners of the Digital Forensics area. Results point out that our conceptual model is feasible for promoting reproducibility of Digital Forensics experiments, as well as it is easy to use and useful. Thus, our proposed conceptual model can contribute significantly to improve Digital Forensics experimentation and make them repeatable, replicable, and/or reproducible.