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 dead human body or the physical remains of a dead human body at one location. Note that this use of the word is different from that often used in law enforcement, which describes the body at a scene where it was found as a corpse, and only as a cadaver once it is under a coroner's or medical examiner's examination.
A fire effect realized in gypsum products, including wallboard, as a result of exposure to heat that drives off free and chemically bound water.
A method of producing adhesive tape by pressing an adhesive to a backing material through a series of heated rollers. The surface appearance depends on the type of roller used.
Characteristic marks left on the backing material due to the manufacturing process.
Operation that, under specified conditions, establishes a relation between the quantity value and corresponding indications
The set of operations that establish, under specified conditions, the relationship between values indicated by a measuring instrument or measuring system, or values represented by a material, and the corresponding known values of a measurement.
Measurement standard used in calibration
measurement standard used in calibratione
e: ISO Guide 30:2015
operation that, under specified conditions, in a first step, establishes a relation between the quantity values with measurement uncertainties provided by measurement standards and corresponding indications with associated measurement uncertainties and, in a second step, uses this information to establish a relation for obtaining a measurement result from an indication.d
d: Joint Committee for Guides in Metrology (JCGM), International vocabulary of metrology - Basic and general concepts and associated terms (VIM) (Sèvres, France: International Bureau of Weights and Measures [BIPM]- JCGM 200) available from: https://www.bipm.org/en/publications/guides.
The mathematical model that demonstrates the relationship between the concentration of analyte and the corresponding instrument response
A reference material used to determine the concentrations of the analyte elements in the glass matrix. The calibration standard(s) shall have a known elemental composition including a known uncertainty for the reported analytes.
The amount of heat necessary to raise 1 gram of water 1C at the pressure of 1 atmosphere and temperature of 15C; a calorie is 4.184 joules, and there are 252.15 calories in a British thermal unit (Btu).
In facial identification, a rank ordered list generated from a facial recognition search.
Particle(s) classified by the instrument software based on detection of appropriate (as specified in Practice E1588) constituent elements as potential pGSR.
particles classified by the instrument software based on detection of appropriate (as specified in Practice E1588) constituent elements as potential pGSR.
A dog, Canis familiaris, more commonly used to denote a working dog and sometimes abbreviated as K-9.
A dog, Canis familiaris, more commonly used to denote a working dog and sometimes abbreviated as K-9.
A dog, Canis familiaris, more commonly used to denote a working dog and sometimes abbreviated as K-9.
A person who has successfully completed a recognized course of canine handling in a specific discipline and maintains those abilities through field applications, maintenance training, certification, recertification and agency or program required continuing canine education.
A person who has successfully completed a recognized course of canine handling in a specific discipline and maintains those abilities through field applications, maintenance training, certification, recertification and agency or program required continuing canine education.
A person who has successfully completed a recognized course of canine handling in a specific discipline and maintains those abilities through field applications, maintenance training, certification, recertification and agency or program required continuing canine education.
A person who has successfully completed a recognized course of canine handling in a specific discipline and maintains those abilities through field applications, maintenance training, certification, recertification and department, agency or organization required continuing canine education.
A person who has successfully completed a recognized course of canine handling in a specific discipline and maintains those abilities through: field applications; maintenance training; certification; recertification; and department, agency, or organization required continuing canine education.
A person who has successfully completed a recognized course of canine handling in a specific discipline and maintains those abilities through field applications, maintenance training, certification, recertification and agency or program required continuing canine education.
Any action or cue by the handler that causes the canine team to perform incorrectly.
Any action or cue by the handler that causes the canine team to perform incorrectly.
Any action or cue by the handler that causes the canine team to perform incorrectly.
Any action or cue by the handler that causes the canine team to perform incorrectly.
Any action or cue by the handler that causes the canine team to perform incorrectly.
An individual with relevant training and experience to assess trained or minimally trained dogs based on standards specified in a contract/statement of work for purchase, while showing no bias or partiality. Experience in canine behavior observation, canine behavioral measurement, and knowledge of procurement requirements should be demonstrated by a person working in this role.
The dog's situational appropriate comfort and interaction with other dogs.
The dog's situational appropriate comfort level and interaction with people.
A human and working canine that train and work together as an operational unit.
The documentation of an evaluation conducted during training.
The documentation of an evaluation conducted during training.
A person providing training/instruction who has demonstrated, through education, training and operational experience, extensive skill and knowledge in the subject field or discipline. This person would normally perform the maintenance training and proficiency training in the field and may train canines in preparation for a formal course of instruction.
A person providing training/instruction who has demonstrated, through education, training and operational experience, extensive skill and knowledge in the subject field or discipline. This person would normally perform the maintenance training and proficiency training in the field and may train canines in preparation for a formal course of instruction. (See instructor.)
A canine-handler team is a human and working dog who train and work together as an operational unit. [SC1, 2011]
The amount of finished product that could be produced, either in one batch or over a defined period of time, and given a set list of variables.
An electrophoretic technique for separating DNA molecules by their relative size based on their differential migration through a capillary tube filled with a liquid polymer.
An electrophoretic technique for separating DNA molecules by their relative size based on their differential migration through a capillary tube filled with a liquid polymer.
An electrophoretic technique for separating DNA molecules by their relative size based on their differential migration through a capillary tube filled with a liquid polymer
(1) the process of recording data such as an image, video sequence, or audio stream; (2) in facial identification, the process of collecting a biometric sample from an individual via a sensor.
A piece of computer hard- ware that accepts an analog or digital signal and outputs the signal as digital data.
Device used in the recording of data.