Inter-Examiner Reliability
Definition
The degree to which different qualified examiners reach the same conclusion when independently analysing the same evidence. Studies of bite mark analysis have consistently found poor inter-examiner reliability, with examiners frequently disagreeing both on whether a mark is a bite and on who made it.
- Field
- Bite mark analysis
- Finding
- Consistently poor across studies
- Disagreement covers
- Whether a mark is a bite, and who made it
- Cited by
- NAS and PCAST critiques
Common questions
What is the practical difference between inter-examiner agreement and inter-examiner reliability?+
The two terms are often used interchangeably in the literature, both describing consistency between independent examiners. In the bite mark critiques, reliability specifically underscores that repeated disagreement occurred across multiple validation studies, not just isolated cases.
Why did PCAST single out bite mark analysis for its reliability findings?+
PCAST reviewed the foundational validity of several pattern comparison methods and found bite mark analysis lacked studies establishing that examiners could reliably and reproducibly link a mark to a specific person, unlike some other forensic disciplines it also reviewed.
Related terms
- Black-Box Study
- A study in which qualified examiners are given realistic test cases with known ground truth and asked to make decisions under conditions...
- Foundational Validity
- The requirement, articulated in the 2009 US National Academy of Sciences report and taken up by courts and reform bodies, that a...
- Innocence Project
- A US non-profit organisation founded in 1992 by Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld that uses DNA testing to challenge wrongful convictions. Its...
- Skin Distortion
- The deformation of a bite mark pattern caused by the viscoelastic properties of skin, body position, postmortem change, and healing. PCAST identified...
- Wrongful Conviction
- A conviction that is later determined to be factually incorrect, usually through post-conviction DNA testing or other newly available evidence. Bite mark...