Members of the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science’s Biology/DNA committees and the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) are working together to develop a process map that describes the current practice for processing, genotyping, interpreting, and reporting DNA evidence

Starting in late 2018, members of both OSAC and SWGDAM have been participating in numerous meetings sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop the process map. “The idea is to map current practices and identify gaps in the current DNA testing processes. The working group hopes to complete the process map by April of this year,” said Carl Sobieralski, Vice Chair of OSAC’s Biology/DNA Scientific Area Committee and member of the working group.

Once published, the process map will help the community understand the variation in methodologies used during forensic biology exams and the thought processes in data interpretation. It is not a best practice guide, but rather an overall picture of the current practice of testing. “Process maps can help ‘unpack’ the steps in the analysis process so gaps in the methods can be identified. This map will enable forensic science service providers to identify risks and employ standards or best practices to reduce these risks and improve quality, identify training points to better train analysts, and to look more critically at their work flow to incorporate efficiencies to expedite analysis,” Sobieralski said.