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:

There	have	been	numerous	studies	regarding	the	rate	of	loss	of	GSR	particulates from	surfaces	such	

as	skin	and	clothing,	but	few	comprehensive	peer-reviewed	works	or	meta-data	analyses.		There	is	

a	need	to	understand	the	rate	of	particulate	loss	as	a	function	of	particulate	size	to	determine	the	

feasibility	and	viability	of	searching	for	smaller	particulates	and	sub-micron	particulates.		The	

cost/benefit	of	utilizing	these	particulates	in	terms	of	information	gained	vs.	scanning	time	needs	to	

be	understood	as	does	the	relative	probative	value	of	smaller	particulates	(<1μm).

[1]	R.	E.	Berk,	S.	A.	Rochowicz,	M.	Wong	and	M.	A.	Kopina.	Gunshot	Residue	in	Chicago	Police	Vehicles	and	Facilities:	An	Empirical	Study.	J.	

Forensic	Sci.	2007,	52,	838.

[2]	O.	Dalby,	D.	Butler	and	J.	W.	Birkett.	Analysis	of	Gunshot	Residue	and	Associated	Materials-a	Review.	J.	Forensic	Sci.	2010,	55,	924.

[3]	Z.	Brozek-Mucha.	Chemical	and	Morphological	Study	of	Gunshot	Residue	Persisting	on	the	Shooter	by	Means	of	Scanning	Electron	

Microscopy	and	Energy	Dispersive	X-Ray	Spectrometry.	Microsc.	Microanal.	2011,	17,	972.

[3]	S.	Charles	and	N.	Geusens.	A	Study	of the	Potential	Risk	of	Gunshot	Residue	Transfer	from	Special	Units	of	the	Police	to	Arrested	

Suspects.	For.	Sci	Int.	2012,	216,	78.

[4]	M.	I.	Szynkowska,	A.	Parczewski,	K.	Szajdak	and	J.	Rogowski.	Examination	of	Gunshot	Residues	Transfer	Using	ToF-SIMS.	Surf.	Interface	

Anal.	2013,	45,	596.

[5]	J.	French,	R.	Morgan	and	J.	Davy.	The	Secondary	Transfer	of	Gunshot	Residue:	An	Experimental	Investigation	Carried	out	with	SEM-EDX

Analysis.	X-Ray	Spectrom.	2014,	43,	56.

[6]	Z.	Brozek-Mucha.	On	the	Prevalence	of	Gunshot	Residue	in	Selected	Populations	- an	Empirical	Study	Performed	with	SEM/EDX Analysis.	

For.	Sci	Int.	2014,	237,	46.

[7]	M.	Grima,	R.	Hanson	and	H.	Tidy.	An	Assessment	of	Firework	Particle	Persistence	on	the	Hands	and	Related	Police	Force	Practices	in	

Relation	to	GSR Evidence.	For.	Sci	Int.	2014,	239,	19.

[8]	J.	French	and	R.	Morgan.	An	Experimental	Investigation	of	the	Indirect	Transfer	and	Deposition	of	Gunshot	Residue:	Further Studies	

Carried	out	with	SEM-EDX Analysis.	For.	Sci	Int.	2015,	247,	14.

[9]	T.	J.	Hannigan,	S.	D.	McDermott,	C.	M.	Greaney,	J.	O'Shaughnessy	and	C.	M.	O'Brien.	Evaluation	of	Gunshot	Residue	(GSR)	Evidence:	

Surveys	of	Prevalence	of	GSR on	Clothing	and	Frequency	of	Residue	Types.	For.	Sci	Int.	2015,	257,	177.

[10]	L.	Ali,	K.	Brown,	H.	Castellano	and	S.	J.	Wetzel.	A	Study	of	the	Presence	of	Gunshot	Residue	in	Pittsburgh	Police	Stations	Using	SEM/EDS

and	LC-MS/MS.	J.	Forensic	Sci.	2016,	61,	928.

Comprehensive	GSR	persistence	study

GSR,	particulate	size,	secondary	transfer,	persistence

GSR 11/28/16
Version	1	/	Date	of	Issue:	10.29.15	/	Issuing	Authority:	Forensic	Science	Standards	Board	(FSSB)

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

b.		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	results	will	guide	evolution	in	laboratory	practice	as	the	results	dictate.		For	example,	the	data	

could	be	incorporated	in	a	future	revision	of	ASTM	1588	that	increases	the	efficiency	and	efficacy	of	

SEM	characterization	of	stub	samples.		

The	results	would	assist	the	subcommittee	in	developing	modifications	of	laboratory	practice	and	

procedure;	these	changes	will	be	data-driven.

The	data	will	be	directly	applicable	to	improving	the	efficiency	and	efficacy	of	laboratory	analysis	of	

GSR.

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					 							No							⃝		

2.		Does	the	SAC	agree	with	the	status assessment?				Yes															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.)

11/21/16 Subcommittee

SAC

11/28/16