Chapter 26: Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Quality assurance (QA)

for forensic services requires certain processes to ensure that a service will meet laboratory requirements for the integrity of testing.

Quality control (QC)

for forensic services refers to the operational procedures necessary to meet quality requirements.

DNA Advisory Board (DAB)

It was formed as a result of the DNA Identification Act (1994) passed by Congress in 1995. It only served from 1995 to 2000 to develop guidelines for quality assurance in forensic laboratories.

Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM)

Its purpose is to facilitate forensic DNA community discussions regarding necessary laboratory methods and to share protocols for forensic DNA testing.

International Society for Forensic Genetics (ISFG)

Recognized the potential of DNA testing for criminal investigations and made a number of recommendations related to the forensic application of DNA polymorphisms.

European DNA Profiling Group (EDNAP)

It has investigated systems for DNA profiling, has organized a number of collaborative exercises for the evaluation of new methods, and has published reports of its studies.

European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI)

Formed its DNA working group to address issues of quality and standards for forensic DNA testing.

Interpol European Working Party on DNA Profiling (IEWPDP)

It also made recommendations for applying DNA evidence to criminal investigations in Europe.

European Standard Set (ESS)

Based on the EDNAP exercises and recommendations by the ENFSI and IEWPDP, the ________ for autosomal STR core loci was established.

Standardization of DNA Profiling Techniques in the European Union (STADNAP)

A group that has been working on the selection of forensic DNA profiling systems, methods for use among European countries, and the maintenance of European population databases.

Accreditation

The process used to assess the qualification of a laboratory to meet established standards.

Laboratory Accreditation Board of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD/LAB)

Accreditation in the United States is offered by the ________ for forensic laboratories performing casework.

American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)

Provides accreditation for laboratories performing DNA parentage testing according to the AABB’s standards.

Validation

The process of confirming that a laboratory procedure is sufficiently robust, reliable, and reproducible.

robust method

A ________ maintains successful performance and can cope with errors.

reliable method

A ________ produces accurate results.

reproducible method

A ________ achieves the same or very similar results each time a sample is tested.

Internal validation

An accumulation of test data within the laboratory to demonstrate that established methods and procedures perform as expected in the laboratory.

Developmental Validation

The acquisition of test data and determination of conditions and limitations of a new or novel DNA methodology for use on forensic, database, known or casework reference samples.

Precision

Characterizes the degree of mutual agreement among a series of individual measurements, values and/or results. It depends only on the distribution of random errors and does not relate to the true value or specified value.

Accuracy

The ability of a measuring instrument to give responses close to a true value.

Proficiency Testing

• It is an important component of quality control and quality assurance.

• It evaluates a laboratory’s performance of DNA analyses according to the laboratory’s standard protocols.

  • It also evaluates the quality of performance by individual analysts following laboratory protocols.

Certification

A voluntary process that recognizes the attainment of professional qualifications needed for practice in forensic services. It is not required, but is desired by some laboratories.

Biochemistry

The nature of biologically important molecules in living systems, DNA replication and protein synthesis, and the quantitative and qualitative aspects of cellular metabolism.

Genetics

The study of inherited traits, genotype/phenotype relationships, and population/species differences in allele and genotype frequencies.

Molecular biology

It covers theories, methods, and techniques used in the study and analysis of gene structure, organization, and function.