Verification Phase
Definition
The fourth ACE-V phase: an independent second examiner repeats the ACE process without access to the first examiner's conclusion, providing an independent check on the opinion.
- Position
- Fourth and final phase of ACE-V
- Requirement
- Second examiner works blind to the first examiner's conclusion
- Purpose
- Independent check on the original examination and opinion
- Applies to
- Latent print and handwriting comparison casework
Common questions
Does verification always mean the full ACE-V process is repeated blind?+
Ideally yes, but in practice many labs allow the verifying examiner to see the first examiner's conclusion beforehand, which is a documented critique because it can bias the verifier toward agreement.
Is verification the same as a peer review of the conclusion?+
No, verification is meant to be an independent repetition of the analysis, comparison, and evaluation phases, not simply a second person checking whether the stated conclusion looks reasonable.
Related terms
- ACE-V
- Analysis, Comparison, Evaluation, Verification: the four-stage method for latent print examination used by accredited forensic fingerprint laboratories. Analysis examines the latent in...
- Analysis Phase
- The first ACE-V phase: the questioned writing is examined in isolation, individual features are catalogued, and the documentation is locked before the...
- Comparison Phase
- The second ACE-V phase: the catalogued features of the questioned writing are evaluated against the exemplar set, documenting both similarities and differences...
- Daubert Criteria
- The four criteria a US federal court applies to assess the admissibility of expert scientific testimony: has the methodology been tested, has...
- Evaluation Phase
- The third ACE-V phase: the combined weight of similarities and differences is expressed as a conclusion on the SWGDOC nine-point scale or...
- Linear ACE-V
- An implementation of ACE-V methodology that enforces strict sequential documentation: analysis of the latent mark must be completed and recorded before the...
- Sequential Unmasking
- An information-sequencing protocol in which the examiner receives the questioned material first, completes and documents the analysis before receiving the known standards,...
- SWGDOC Nine-Point Scale
- The conclusion scale developed by the Scientific Working Group for Forensic Document Examination, running from 'identification' (most positive) through 'no conclusion' (midpoint)...
- Target-Shifting
- The cognitive bias whereby an examiner's perception of the questioned writing is unconsciously shaped by prior knowledge of what the exemplar writer's...