Standards & sources
Forensic science is governed by international standards, laboratory accreditation, scientific working groups and peer-reviewed literature. The bodies and reports below are the primary sources the field is built on. Our pages summarise and explain this material so it is easier to learn; they do not replace it. For casework, research or examinations, go to the originals.
This is a starting map, not a complete list, and it spans several jurisdictions. Listing a body here does not imply it endorses or is affiliated with ForensicSpot.
International standards & accreditation
- ISO/IEC 17025
General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.
- ISO/IEC 17020
Requirements for inspection bodies, applied to crime-scene units.
- NIST OSAC
The Organization of Scientific Area Committees: US forensic standards and registry.
- ENFSI
European Network of Forensic Science Institutes and its best-practice guidelines.
- INTERPOL Forensics
International policing forensics: fingerprints, DNA and disaster victim identification.
- UNODC Laboratory and Scientific Service
UN forensic-laboratory guidance, reference materials and quality assurance.
Scientific working groups & professional bodies
- SWGDAM
Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods: DNA guidance and QA standards.
- ISFG
International Society for Forensic Genetics: forensic DNA-marker science.
- TIAFT
The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists.
- SOFT
Society of Forensic Toxicologists: practitioner standards and guidance.
- SWGDE
Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence: digital and multimedia forensics.
- AFTE
Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners: methods and standards.
- SWGDRUG
Minimum standards for the analysis of seized drugs.
Landmark reports & legal standards
- Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States (NAS, 2009)
The landmark National Academy of Sciences review of forensic-science reliability.
- PCAST report on feature-comparison methods (2016)
A review of the scientific validity of pattern-matching forensic disciplines.
- The Daubert standard
The US test for admissibility of expert scientific evidence (Cornell LII).
India (one of several jurisdictions we cover)
- NABL India
India's national accreditation body for testing and calibration laboratories.
- Directorate of Forensic Science Services (DFSS)
India's directorate overseeing the Central Forensic Science Laboratories.
How we use these when we write a page is described in our editorial standards. Spotted a source we should add or correct? Email hello@forensicspot.com.