Exam 1 Study Guide

Definitions

• QA Terms and Definitions flashcards (LP Training > Exam 1 > Lesson 1)

• BCI Interview - Latent Prints flashcards (BCI Interview)

Accreditation and its importance 

• Accreditation - A process by which an authoritative body, such as ANAB, gives formal recognition that an entity is competent to carry out specific tasks.

• Accreditation serves as an external accountability for the quality of work produced by an organization. It provides pre-determined, set standards for consistency in quality and competency and validates that institutions are abiding by those standards. 

• Accreditation provides public recognition for institutions as providing competent and quality work. This recognition aids public perception of and public confidence in the work done by BCI.

Proficiency testing and its importance

• Proficiency test - A test used to evaluate the continuing capability of forensic scientists and the performance of the BCI laboratory. The expected results of the test are unknown to those individuals taking the test.

• Proficiency testing is an integral part of the BCI laboratory quality system. It is one of many quality control measures used to monitor performance, verify procedures, and identify areas where improvement may be needed.

• It is the responsibility of the proficiency test participant to address each external proficiency test as much like regular casework as practicable, using current approved discipline methods and following established laboratory practices.

• The laboratory identifies and selects opportunities for improvement and implements any necessary actions. These can be identified through the review of operational procedures, use of policies, overall objectives, audit results, corrective actions, management review, suggestions from personnel, risk assessment, analysis of data, and/or proficiency testing results.

• The performance of all personnel who perform laboratory activities is monitored. The monitoring demonstrates successful performance in at least one proficiency test, other interlaboratory comparison, or intralaboratory comparison per calendar year in each accredited discipline in which the individual is authorized to conduct work. Qualified DNA and CODIS forensic scientists must undergo two external proficiency tests each year, in accordance with FBI Quality Assurance Standards.

  • LP completes two per year.

Quality assurance (its definition and real-world examples)

• Quality assurance - Those planned or systematic actions necessary to provide sufficient confidence that the laboratory’s product or service will satisfy given requirements for quality

  • “Big picture,” “Bird’s eye view,” etc.

  • Future tense - What procedures and policies should be in place to ensure that data/results/personnel will comply consistently with the standards of quality?

  • Examples: SOPs, training programs, proficiency testing, certifications, accreditation

• Quality control - Internal activities or activities conducted according to externally established standards, used to monitor the quality of analytical data and to ensure that it satisfies specified criteria.

  • “Bug’s eye view,” actionable steps, etc.

  • Present tense - Does this data/product currently satisfy the standards of quality? Are the analytical instruments/processes currently working as they should?

  • Examples: verifications, tech/admin reviews, positive/negative standards

• Quality assurance vs. Quality control

  • Focus: QA is about creating and maintaining processes to prevent issues, while QC is about identifying and fixing issues in the final product.

  • Approach: QA emphasizes process improvement to prevent faults, whereas QC concentrates on finding and correcting problems in the finished product.

  • Objective: The goal of QA is to ensure quality through a systematic approach, while QC aims to test and control quality in products and services.

  • Contribution: Both QA and QC are crucial components of a robust Quality Management System (QMS).

Basic laboratory safety 

• PPE

  • Lab coat

  • Gloves

  • Mask (if sterile)

• Dispose of sharps in sharps container

• Cut away from yourself

• Wear proper eye protection when using ALS (orange glasses for fluorescence)

Basic evidence handling

• All evidence received by the BCI laboratory will be packaged to ensure that it can be safely handled and to protect it from loss, cross transfer, contamination and/or deleterious change.

• Items submitted for examination may include latent lifts, digital images, and items for processing. When a portion of the evidence is preserved for future examination (e.g. lifts, digital images), it will be treated as evidence. Images taken in the laboratory and used as examination documentation are not considered evidence.

• Areas of interest should be preserved with digital images (by photographing or scanning the lift). The areas will be designated with an arch/bracket/circle near the impression with a notation of the associated impression number.

  • Lifts

    • Parent item - Lift # - letter

    • A letter is needed for all impressions deemed sufficient and/or borderline

  • Processing items

    • Work product: Parent item - Object # - Lift/Photo # - letter 

    • A letter is needed for all impressions deemed sufficient and/or borderline

• Evidence should be opened anywhere EXCEPT the original seal.

  • After opening, label the evidence with open date and initials next to the opening.

  • After re-sealing, label the evidence with seal date and initials overlapping the tape.

• Post-examination evidence markings consist of the BCI laboratory case number, item number, and the examiner’s initials (date is optional).

  • This information should be written directly onto the evidence item.

  • If sterile, this information can be written overlapping the barcode.

Acronyms

• ADAMS - Authenticated Digital Asset Management System

• AFIS - Automated Fingerprint Identification System

• ANAB - ANSI (American National Standards Institute) National Accreditation Board

• BCI - Bureau of Criminal Investigation

• LIMS - Laboratory Information Management System

• NGI - Next Generation Identification

• OBIS - Ohio Biometric Identification System

• PPE - Personal Protective Equipment

Historical firsts 

• Lesson 3 - History (Condensed) flashcards (LP Training > Exam 1 > Lesson 3)

Skin anatomy — Persistence/Permanence

• Persistence of Friction Ridge Skin (Training Notes > Biological Aspects of Friction Ridge Detail > Topics)

Skin development — Uniqueness/Discriminability

• Timeline of Embryological Development of Friction Ridge Skin (Training Notes > Biological Aspects of Friction Ridge Detail > Topics)

Wound healing

• Scar Formation (Training Notes > Biological Aspects of Friction Ridge Detail > Topics)

Exemplar recording

• Training Notes > Recording Friction Ridge Skin > Topics