SWFS
Definition
Society of Wildlife Forensic Scientists. Professional body that publishes guidelines specific to wildlife forensic practice and supports the global community of practitioners through standards development and training.
- Full name
- Society for Wildlife Forensic Science
- Function
- Professional body for wildlife forensic practice
- Activities
- Standards development, training, community support
Common questions
How does SWFS differ from a general forensic science accrediting body?+
General accrediting bodies cover forensic disciplines broadly, such as DNA or toxicology, while SWFS focuses specifically on the distinct methods wildlife casework requires, such as species identification from partial or processed remains, which mainstream forensic standards do not address in the same depth.
Why does a specialised professional body matter for court acceptance of wildlife forensic evidence?+
Courts and regulators look for evidence that a discipline follows recognised, peer-developed standards; SWFS guidelines give wildlife forensic examiners a documented, community-vetted basis for their methods, which supports the evidence's reliability and admissibility when challenged.
Related terms
- Chain of Custody
- The documented chronological record of who collected, handled, transferred, and examined a piece of evidence. For digital evidence, chain of custody includes...
- ISO 17025
- International standard for the general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. Covers management system requirements (document control, internal audits,...
- Method Validation
- The process of demonstrating that an analytical method does what it claims: that it correctly identifies the target analyte, at what sensitivity,...
- Proficiency Testing
- An external quality assurance programme in which a laboratory analyses blind samples distributed by an independent provider and submits results for comparison...
- Reference Material
- A specimen or sample of known species, origin, or composition used to validate a method and as a positive control in ongoing...