Establishing the Foundational Literature within the Forensic Science Disciplines

Statement of Issue Documentation of the literature that supports the underlying scientific foundation for each forensic discipline is a critical component in determining if methods, technologies, interpretation guidelines and conclusions are supported by science. Features of “scientific literature” are delineated in the approved Views Document “Scientific Literature in Support of Forensic Science and Practice;” it presented criteria by which scientific literature can be assessed for consistency with principles of scientific validity. However, meeting these criteria is only the first step in creating a compilation of core scientific literature within a field. Such compilations are vital to the forensic discipline as well as to the judicial system where it should be integral to admissibility and gatekeeping practices.