FIS Latent Fingerprinting ( I - O )

WVU Forensic Examination

IAFIS

The acronym for Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, the FBI’s national AFIS.

Identification

1. See individualization.

2. In some forensic disciplines, this term denotes the similarity of class characteristics.

Impression

Friction ridge detail deposited on a surface.

Incipient ridge

A friction ridge not fully developed that may appear shorter and thinner than fully developed friction ridges.

Inconclusive

the determination by an examiner that there is neither sufficient agreement to individualize, nor sufficient disagreement to exclude.

Individualization

The determination by an examiner that there is sufficient quality and quantity of detail in agreement to conclude that two friction ridge impressions originated from the same source.

Joint (of the finger)

The hinged area that separates segments of the finger.

Known prints (finger, palm, foot)

The prints of an individual, associated with a known or claimed identity, and deliberately recorded electronically, by ink, or by another medium (also known as exemplars).

Latent print

1. Transferred impression of friction ridge detail not readily visible.

2. Generic term used for unintentionally deposited friction ridge detail.

Level 1 detail

Friction ridge flow, pattern type, and general morphological information.

Level 2 detail

individual friction ridge paths and associated events, including minutiae.

Level 3 detail

Friction ridge dimensional attributes, such as width, edge shapes, and pores.

Lift

An adhesive or other medium used to transfer a friction ridge impression from a substrate.

Loop

A pattern type in which one or more friction ridges enter upon one side, recurve, touch or pass an imaginary line between delta and core and flow out, or tend to flow out, on the same side the friction ridges entered. Types include left slant loops, in which the pattern flows to the left in the impression; right slant loops, in which the pattern flows to the right in the impression; radial loops, in which the pattern flows in the direction of the radius bone of the forearm (toward the thumb); and ulnar loops, in which the pattern flows in the direction of the ulna bone of the forearm (toward the little finger).

Major case print

A systematic recording of the friction ridge detail appearing on the palmar sides of the hands. This includes the extreme sides of the palms, joints, tips, and sides of the fingers (also known as complete friction ridge exemplars).

Mark

Term commonly used in the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth countries to designate a latent print.

Mated impressions

Impressions intentionally collected to originate from the same source, and used for the purpose of measuring error rates.

Matrix

The substance that is deposited or removed by the friction ridge skin when making an impression.

Minutiae

Events along a ridge path, including bifurcations, ending ridges, and dots (also known as Galton details).

Missed exclusion

The failure to make an exclusion when in fact the friction ridge impressions are non-mated (includes false positive, non-consensus inconclusive and non-consensus no value).

Missed individualization

The failure to make an individualization when in fact both friction ridge impressions are mated (includes false negative, non-consensus inconclusive and non-consensus no value).

Negative predictive value (NPV)

The proportion of exclusion determinations that are correct.

NGI

The acronym for Next Generation Identification, the updated version of IAFIS

Non-consensus determinations of no value

Decisions of no value that conflict with the consensus

Non-consensus determination of suitability

When an examiner’s determination of suitability does not concur with consensus. Suitability determinations include non-consensus no value, and non-consensus value decisions.

Non-consensus determination of value

Decisions of value that conflict with the consensus.

Non-consensus exclusion conclusion

When an examiner reaches a decision of exclusion that conflicts with the consensus, exclusive of false negative errors.

Non-consensus inconclusive

When an examiner reaches a decision of inconclusive that conflicts with the consensus, exclusive of false positive and negative errors.

Non-consensus individualization conclusion

When an examiner reaches a decision of individualization that conflicts with the consensus, exclusive of false positive errors.

Non-mated impressions

Impressions intentionally collected to originate from different sources, and used for the purpose of measuring error rates.

Original image

An accurate replica (pixel for pixel) of the primary image.