The ASA Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Forensic Statistics submitted
written comments to the newly established National Commission on Forensic Science "to enhance
scientific thinking to benefit the practice of forensic science." In the cover letter, 2015 ASA President David Morganstein writes,
We at the ASA commend the creation of the National Commission on Forensic Science and offer to
support your important work in any way we can. A prominent theme within "Strengthening Forensic
Science" is the need to undergird the science in the forensic science disciplines. We are convinced
statistical scientists can be helpful in this regard. As noted in a 2010 statement by the ASA Board of
Directors on forensic science (http://amstat.org/policy/pdfs/Forensic_Science_Endorsement.pdf),
"Statisticians are vital to establishing measurement protocols, quantifying uncertainty, designing
experiments for testing new protocols or methodologies, and analyzing data from such experiments."
In their statement, the committee recommended these four steps:
- Ensure uniform use of the scientific method throughout the forensic sciences.
- Insist on rigorous documentation of protocols. Careful documentation of the processes
used in each forensic science discipline is a critical first step for quality control and for process
improvement. It is also necessary to implement safeguards to ensure established protocols
and procedures are followed.
- Encourage a culture of openness to consulting outside experts.
- Establish a foundation in logic, decision theory, and statistical reasoning in educational and
training programs for forensic science. Such a focus emphasizes a common decision
framework across the forensic sciences and encourages contributions toward problem
solutions from all forensic fields.
To see the detailed comments of each recommendation, follow this link. ASA's comments have been posted to the NCFS webpages.
For more on the ASA forensic science reform efforts, see
this web page and these ASA Community blog entries:
- Senator Leahy Introduces Forensic Science Reform bill, 2/2/11
- ASA President Sends Letters to Senate Committee Chairmen on Forensic Science Reform, 4/4/11
- Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Holds Second Hearing on Forensic Science, 4/4/12
- Senate Science Committee Chair Introduces Bill to Advance Forensic Science Reform, 7/19/12
- Ron Wasserstein's ASA at 175 - Improving Forensic Science, 3/2/14
- Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Advances Forensic Science Bill with Bipartisan Support, 4/11/14
- NIST Issues Call for Applications to Organization of Scientific Area Committees; Part of Forensic Science Reform, 4/13/14
See
other ASA Science Policy blog entries. For ASA science policy updates, follow @ASA_SciPol on Twitter.