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:

Current	methods	of	GSR	analysis	can	only	point	to	who	was	involved	in,	or	in	very	close	proximity	

to,	a	weapon	discharge.		A	statistically	defensible	method	(or	methods)	are	needed	to	push	the	field	

to	the	point	where	it	is	possible to	provide	a	probabilistic	assessment	of	how	and	to	what	degree	

the	results	support	or	refute	the	hypothesis	that	a	sample	was	obtained	from	a	shooter	vs.	a	

bystander.		 The	research	will	require	controlled	studies	relating	to	particle	deposition	and	

recovery,	loss	rate,	particulate	density	on	skin	surfaces,	recovery	efficiency,	and	

background/environmental	levels	across	a	broad	population.	

[1]	F.	S.	Romolo	and	P.	Margot.	Identification	of	Gunshot	Residue:	A	Critical	Review.	For.	Sci	Int.	2001,	119,	195.

[2]	B.	Cardinetti,	C.	Ciampini,	S.	Abate,	C.	Marchetti,	F.	Ferrari,	D.	Di	Tullio,	C.	D'Onofrio,	G.	Orlando,	L.	Gravina,	L.	Torresi	and	G.	Saporita.	A	

Proposal	for	Statistical	Evaluation	of	the	Detection	of	Gunshot	Residues	on	a	Suspect.	Scanning.	2006,	28,	142.

[3]	A.	Biedermann	and	F.	Taroni.	A	Probabilistic	Approach	to	the	Joint	Evaluation	of	Firearm	Evidence	and	Gunshot	Residues.	For.	Sci	Int.	

2006,	163,	18.

[4]	B.	Cardinetti,	C.	Ciampini,	S.	Abate,	C.	Marchetti,	F.	Ferrari,	D.	Di	Tullio,	C.	D'Onofrio,	G.	Orlando,	L.	Gravina,	L.	Torresi	and	G.	Saporita.	A	

Proposal	for	Statistical	Evaluation	of	the	Detection	of	Gunshot	Residues	on	a	Suspect.	Scanning.	2006,	28,	142.

[5]	A.	Biedermann,	S.	Bozza	and	F.	Taroni.	Probabilistic	Evidential	Assessment	of	Gunshot	Residue	Particle	Evidence	(Part	I): Likelihood	Ratio	

Calculation	and	Case	Pre-Assessment	Using	Bayesian	Networks.	For.	Sci	Int.	2009,	191,	24.

[6]	S.	Charles	and	B.	Nys,	in	Scanning	Microscopy	2010,	eds.	M.	T.	Postek,	D.	E.	Newbury,	S.	F.	Platek	and	D.	C.	Joy,	2010,	vol.	7729.

[7]	A.	Biedermann,	S.	Bozza	and	F.	Taroni.	Probabilistic	Evidential	Assessment	of	Gunshot	Residue	Particle	Evidence	(Part	II):	Bayesian	

Parameter	Estimation	for	Experimental	Count	Data.	For.	Sci	Int.	2010,	206,	103.

[8]	E.	Lindsay,	M.	J.	McVicar,	R.	B.	Gerard,	E.	D.	Randall	and	J.	Pearson.	Passive	Exposure	and	Persisitence	of	Gunshot	Residue	(GSR)	on	

Bystanders	to	a	Shooting:	Comparison	of	Shooter	and	Bystander	Exposure	to	Gsr.	Can.	Soc.	Forensic	Sci.	J.	2011,	44,	89.

[9]	R.	Gauriot,	L.	Gunaratnam,	R.	Moroni,	T.	Reinikainen	and	J.	Corander.	Statistical	Challenges	in	the	Quantification	of	Gunshot	Residue	

Evidence.	J.	Forensic	Sci.	2013,	58,	1149.

[10]	N.	Lucas,	M.	Cook,	J.	Wallace,	K.	P.	Kirkbride	and	H.	Kobus.	Quantifying	Gunshot	Residues	in	Cases	of	Suicide:	Implications	for	

Evaluation	of	Suicides	and	Criminal	Shootings.	For.	Sci	Int.	2016,	266,	289.

[11]	N.	Lucas,	H.	Brown,	M.	Cook,	K.	Redman,	T.	Condon,	H.	Wrobel,	K.	P.	Kirkbride	and	H.	Kobus.	A	Study	into	the	Distribution	of	Gunshot	

Residue	Particles	in	the	Random	Population.	For.	Sci	Int.	2016,	262,	150.

Specific	identification	of	shooters

GSR,	shooter	identification,	data	analysis,	analytical	methods

GSR 11/28/16

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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?

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

This	data	will	be	invaluable	for	data	analysis	and	interpretation.		Currently,	reporting	and	

testimony	has	to	be	limited	to	presence/absence	of	GSR.		The	results	of	this	study	(if	successful)	

will	increase	the	weight	and	value	of	GSR	evidence	and	help	to	resolve	issues	related	to	shooter	vs.	

by-stander.

This	study	will	supply	critical	data	regarding	GSR	deposition,	collection,	and	persistence	as	well	as	

providing	for	a	statistical	tool	for	evidence	evaluation

The	ability	to	distinguish	the	shooter	from	by-standers	will	be	invaluable	in	shooting	

investigations.	

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