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?

Bias(from(domain(irrelevant(data(has(the(potential(to(cause(errors(in(the(scientific(determination(of(

origin(and(cause.((Separating(the(duties(of(examining(the(physical(evidence(and(credible(eyewitness(

statements(from(the(law(enforcement(functions(of(identifying(suspects(and(motives(and(other(data(

not(relevant(to(determination(of(origin(and(cause(has(the(potential(to(eliminate(some(of(this(bias.((

Effectiveness(of(methods(and(protocols(to(reduce(bias(should(be(evaluated.((((

MTversky,(A.,(&(Kahneman,(0(.((1974).(Judgment(under(uncertainty:(Heuristics(and(biases.(Science,(185,

1124M 1131.(http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sclence.185.4157.1124

MLentini,(J.,((2008).(“Toward(a(More(Scientific(Determination:(Minimizing(Expectation(Bias(in(Fire(Investigations,”

Proceedings(of(the(3rd(International(Symposium(on(Fire(Investigations(Science(and(Technology,(((ISFI),(NAFI,

Sarasota,(FL.

MAvato,(S,(Cox,(A((2009).((Science(and(Circumstance:(Key(Components(in(Fire(Investigations.(Fire(and(Arson(Investigator,(

59(4)(47M49.

MDror,(I.E.((2013)(Practical(solutions(to(cognitive(and(human(factor(challenges(in(forensic(science.(Forensic

Science(Policy(&(Management(4,(1M9.

MNFPA(921((2014).(Guide(for(Fire(and(Explosion(Investigations.(NFPA:(Quincy,(MA.(

MForensic(Science(Regulator((2015).(Cognitive(Bias(effects(relevant(to(forensic(science(examinations.((FSRMGM217.((

Retrieved(on(January(28,(2016,(from:(

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/470549/FSRMGM217_Cognitive_bias_appendix.pdf

NFPA(921(recognizes(bias(as(an(issue,(but(additional(research(in(methodology(for(reducing(bias(

would(be(beneficial(for(the(document(and(the(profession.(

Potential(for(reducing(bias(in(fire(and(explosion(investigations

Fire,(sequential(unmasking,(bias

Fire/explosion(investigation 1/28/16
Version(1(/(Date(of(Issue:(10.29.15(/(Issuing(Authority:(Forensic(Science(Standards(Board((FSSB)

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

subcommittee(s)?

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(research(would(provide(the(scientific(underpinnings(to(the(subcommittee(to(allow(a(credible(

proposal(to(be(submitted(to(the(NFPA(921 technical(committee(to(enhance(a(future edition(of(that(

document.((

Previous(examples(in(fire(investigations(have(led(to(erroneous conclusions(and(convictions(owing(

to(bias((Texas$v.$Willingham;(Texas$v.$Willis).((In(at(least(one(documented(case,(protecting(the(scene(

investigator(from(domain(irrelevant(data(by(using(a(second(investigator(to(manage(the(

investigation(was(shown(to(eliminate(any(challenge(of(the(expert(based(on(bias((NV$v.$Valerie$

Moore).(((

I
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?((((Yes(((((x (((((((No(((((((⃝((

2.((Does(the(SAC(agree(with(the(status(assessment?((((Yes((( x (((((((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 1/28/2016

SAC

5/6/2016