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OSAC RESEARCH NEEDS ASSESSMENT FORM

Title of research need: Culture, Communication, Comprehension and Psychology in Friction Ridge 

Evidence

Describe

the need:

Social scientific research on: (1) the culture of the friction ridge discipline including its 

interaction with other social groups such as lawyers, judges, customers, other 

stakeholders or the general public to increase the effectiveness of interactions between 

examiners and these groups; (2) social scientific research on the communication of friction 

ridge analysis processes, outcomes, results, and limitations to stakeholders; (3) the 

comprehension of friction ridge analysis results to stakeholders including jurors; (4) 

psychological mechanisms in all of the above to better understand, identify, and mitigate 

sources of potential bias in the examination and interpretation processes, to better tailor 

articulation of results to specific audiences, to better understand how thresholds are set 

for decision-making, etc..

Keyword(s): Friction ridge, fingerprint, social science, jury

Submitting subcommittee(s): Friction Ridge Date Approved: June 27, 2022

Background Information:

1. Does this research need address a gap(s) in a current or planned standard? (ex.: Field identification system 

for on scene opioid detection and confirmation)

Yes. Standard for Friction Ridge Examination Conclusions contains novel conclusion language and Standard 

for Reporting Results from Friction Ridge Examinations contains information about reporting results to 

stakeholders. Research is needed on how these procedures are understood in the disciplines, 

communicated, and comprehended. Many standards contain documentation requirements. Research is 

needed on best practices for documentation, whether it improves outcomes, whether it facilitates case 

review, and so on.

2. Are you aware of any ongoing research that may address this research need that has not yet been published 

(e.g., research presented in conference proceedings, studies that you or a colleague have participated in but 

have yet to be published)?

Yes. There are usually ongoing studies of jury comprehension of forensic evidence, including friction ridge 

evidence.
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3. Key bibliographic references relating to this research need: (ex.: Toll, L., Standifer, K. M., Massotte, D., eds. 

(2019). Current Topics in Opioid Research. Lausanne: Frontiers Media SA. doi: 10.3389/978-2-88963-180-3)

Garrett, Brandon L., Greg Mitchell, and Nicholas Scurich. 2018. "Comparing Categorical and Probabilistic 

Fingerprint Evidence." Journal of Forensic Sciences 63 (6): 1712-1717.

Thompson, William C, Rebecca Hofstein Grady, Eric Lai, and Hal S Stern. 2018. "Perceived strength of 

forensic scientists’ reporting statements about source conclusions." Law, Probability and Risk 17 (2): 133-

155.

Gardner, Brett O., Sharon Kelley, and Maddisen Neuman. 2021. "Latent Print Comparison and Examiner 

Conclusions: A Field Analysis of Case Processing in One Crime Laboratory." Forensic Science International

319: 110642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110642. 

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110642. 

Koehler, Jonathan J. 2016. "Intuitive error rate estimates for the forensic sciences." Jurimetrics 57: 153-168.

Ribeiro, Gianni, Jason M. Tangen, and Blake M. McKimmie. 2019. "Beliefs about Error Rates and Human 

Judgment in Forensic Science." Forensic Science International 297: 138-147. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.01.034. 

van Straalen, Elmarije K., Christianne J. de Poot, Marijke Malsch, and Henk Elffers. 2020. "The Interpretation 

of Forensic Conclusions by Criminal Justice Professionals: The Same Evidence Interpreted Differently." 

Forensic Science International 313: 110331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110331. 

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110331.

Kassin, Saul M., Itiel E. Dror, and Jeff Kukucka. 2013. "The Forensic Confirmation Bias: Problems, 

Perspectives, and Proposed Solutions." Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition 2 (1): 42-52.

Swofford, Henry J., Simon A. Cole, and Valerie King. 2021. "Mt. Everest—we are going to lose many: a 

survey of fingerprint examiners’ attitudes towards probabilistic reporting." Law, Probability and Risk. 

https://doi.org/doi:10.1093/lpr/mgab003. 

4. Review the annual operational/research needs published by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) at 

https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/forensic-science-research-and-development-technology-working-groupoperational#latest? Is your research need identified by NIJ?

Yes. Practical statistical approaches for the interpretation of forensic evidence; Evaluation of qualified 

language of association along the continuum from investigative leads to definitive conclusions.
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5. In what ways would the research results improve current laboratory capabilities?

Improved laboratory culture, communication, and comprehension by stakeholders.

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

subcommittee(s)?

None.

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

Improved communication of results to, and comprehension by, stakeholders.

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

IV 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

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

informational resource to the community.