Communicating Forensic Findings: Current Practices and Future Directions Workshop Proceedings

Published

January 24, 2025

Author(s)

Sandra Koch

Abstract

This report supplements NIST IR 8510 Communicating Forensic Findings: A NIST Scientific Foundation Review (Koch et al., 2024). This document summarizes the presentations and discussions heard during a 2-day NIST-hosted workshop on June 25th and 26th of 2024. The workshop was held to assess the range of communication approaches currently in use among forensic disciplines, with a focus on how forensic findings are currently expressed in reports and testimony, and what we can do to improve communication for better understanding of the findings. Presentations and discussions were centered on how forensic findings are communicated, the use of likelihood ratios and verbal scales among multiple forensic disciplines, the strengths and clarity of these approaches to communicate the weight of forensic evidence, and what gaps there are in research or base knowledge that may limit an end user's ability to use or understand the findings. Attendees had an opportunity to provide input on how they felt the forensic science community should improve so that reports and testimony can more clearly convey the significance of forensic findings as well as the limitations. This summary was developed with input from the workshop speakers and provides an overview of the different perspectives expressed by the stakeholders and discipline experts who were present at the workshop. NIST plans to use the knowledge gathered during this workshop to inform an upcoming Foundation Review.

Citation

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) - 8510sup1

Report Number

8510sup1

NIST Pub Series

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8510sup1

Local Download

Keywords

Forensic Science, likelihood ratios, verbal scales, evaluative reporting, science communication

Citation

Koch, S. (2025), Communicating Forensic Findings: Current Practices and Future Directions Workshop Proceedings, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8510sup1, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=958459 (Accessed January 29, 2025)