Version	1	/	Date	of	Issue:	10.29.15	/	Issuing	Authority:	Forensic	Science	Standards	Board	(FSSB)

OSAC	Research	Needs Assessment Form

Title	of	research	need:

Keywords:

Submitting subcommittee(s): Date	Approved:

(If	SAC	review	identifies	additional	subcommittees,	add	them	to	the	box	above.)

Background	information:

1.	 Description	of	research	need:

2.	Key	bibliographic	references	relating	to	this	research	need:

3a.		In	what	ways	would	the	research	results	improve	current	laboratory	capabilities?

3b.		In	what	ways	would	the	research	results	improve	understanding	of	the	scientific	basis	for	the	

subcommittee(s)?

While	there	is	literature	available	to	the	crime	scene	investigator	regarding	topics	such	as	procedures,	processing	

methods,	instrumentation,	and	tools,	there	is	not	a	single,	searchable	resource	for	the	crime	scene	investigator	to	use	as	

a	free,	non-member	based	updated	resource.		Additionally,	crime	scene	focused	literature	has	no	specific	dedicated	

forum	for	dissemination.	

The	research	project	needed	is	multi-fold:	1)	assemble	a	clearinghouse	of	at	least	abstracts	and	citations	of	past	

relevant	literature	after	conducting	research	to	find	these	past	assets,	2)	assemble	as	complete	a	collection	of	crime	

scene	relevant	procedures	(SOP's)	3)	research	and	design	a	clearinghouse	for	all	literature	relevant	to	crime	scene	

investigation	(past	and	future) and	find	funding	to	make	this	clearing	house	free	to	use,	including	the	documents	found	

therein.	

National	Academy	of	Science.	Strengthening	Forensic	Science	in	the	United	States.	(2009).	

Jennifer	L.	Mnookin,	et.	al.	(January,	2011).	“The	Need	for	a	Research	Culture	in	the	Forensic	Sciences.”	Legal	Studies	

Research	Paper	#5-2011,	The	Dickinson	School	of	Law,	Pennsylvania	State	University.	

Http://ssn.com/abstract=1755722		

By	providing	a	central	resource	library	for	the	crime	scene	investigator,	the	investigator	would	be	assured	they	are	

processing	evidence	or	using	procedures	that	are	most	conducive	to	the	need.	Conducting	this	research	will	bring the	

forensic	discipline	of	crime	scene	investigation	into	a	more	modern	and	current	state.		

Crime	Scene	Research:	Creation	of	a	Centralized	Searchable	Database

Research;	Database;	SOP;	Procedures;	Literature;	Library

Crime	Scene Investigation Sep	30,	2016
Version	1	/	Date	of	Issue:	10.29.15	/	Issuing	Authority:	Forensic	Science	Standards	Board	(FSSB)

3c.		In	what	ways	would	the	research	results	improve	services	to	the	criminal	justice	system?

4.		Status assessment	(I,	II,	III,	or	IV):		

This	research	need	has	been	identified	by	one	or	more	subcommittees	of	OSAC	and	is	being	provided	as	an	

informational	resource	to	the	community.

Major gap	

in	current	

knowledge

Minor gap	

in	current	

knowledge

No	or	limited

current	research	

is	being	

conducted

I III

Existing current	

research	is	being	

conducted

II IV

The	current	state	of	crime	scene	investigation	literature	and	peer	review	is	disorganized	and	fragmented	to	say	the	

least.		The	science	behind	techniques	and	procedures	is	generally	unavailable to	many	practitioners in	agencies	

unwilling	or	unable	to	pay	for	documents	or	memberships.	Execution	of	this	research	would	help	to	normalize	crime	

scene	investigations.		Individuals	or	agencies	will	be	able	to	change,	evaluate,	or	modernize	their	own	procedures	

SOP's	more	quickly,	and	while	reducing	time	consuming	redundancies.	

Having	a	centralized,	constantly	updated	library,	free	of	charge	or	free	of	membership	requirements	would	resolve	the

current	state	of	the	investigator	which	often	ends	up	following	broken	web	links,	finding	outdated	information,	and not	

having access	to	procedures	followed	at	other	agencies.

Crime	scene	practitioners	will	be	able	to	support	and	defend	their	procedures	and	techniques	more	easily,	and	rapidly.		

Challenges	to	procedures	and	methods	in	the	court	system	will	be	more	easily	addressed.		

III
Version	1	/	Date	of	Issue:	10.29.15	/	Issuing	Authority:	Forensic	Science	Standards	Board	(FSSB)

// Approval	date:

(Approval	is	by	majority	vote	of	subcommittee.		Once	approved,	forward	to	SAC.)

1.		Does	the	SAC	agree	with	the	research	need?				Yes⃝							No		

2.		Does	the	SAC	agree	with	the	status	assessment?				Yes⃝							No

If	no,	what	is	the	status assessment	of	the	SAC:

Approval	date:

(Approval	is	by	majority	vote	of	SAC.		Once	approved,	forward	to	NIST	for	posting.)

Subcommittee September	30,	2016

SAC

February	9,	2017