Forensic Laboratory Quality Assurance and ISO/IEC 17025

The planned and systematic activities intended to provide confidence that laboratory processes and results meet established quality requirements.

Operational checks and procedures used to monitor whether specific analytical processes are performing as intended.

Quality assurance addresses the overall system for achieving quality, while quality control focuses on monitoring particular processes and results.

An international standard specifying general requirements for the competence, impartiality, and consistent operation of testing and calibration laboratories.

No. Accreditation evaluates conformity with requirements but does not eliminate human error, analytical limitations, or uncertainty.

Formal recognition by an authorized accreditation body that a laboratory meets specified requirements for defined activities.

The specific testing or calibration activities for which the laboratory has been assessed and accredited.

The process of establishing through objective evidence that an analytical method is fit for its intended purpose.

Confirmation that a laboratory can properly perform an established method under its own operating conditions.

The closeness of a measured result to an accepted reference or true value.

The closeness of agreement among repeated measurements made under specified conditions.

Measurement precision under conditions involving the same method, operator, equipment, location, and a short time interval.

Measurement precision assessed under changed conditions, often including different laboratories, operators, or equipment.

A method's ability to detect or respond to small amounts or changes in the target substance, depending on the defined analytical context.

A method's ability to distinguish the target analyte from potentially interfering substances.

The lowest analyte amount or concentration that can be reliably distinguished from an appropriate blank under specified conditions.

The lowest analyte amount or concentration that can be measured quantitatively with acceptable performance under specified conditions.

A parameter expressing the dispersion of values reasonably attributable to a measured quantity.

It helps communicate the limits of precision and supports appropriate interpretation of measurements near relevant decision thresholds.

A reference material or device with an established value used to calibrate an instrument or measurement system.

The property of a measurement result whereby it can be related to a reference through a documented, unbroken chain of calibrations with stated uncertainties.

A reference material accompanied by documentation providing certified property values, uncertainties, and metrological traceability where applicable.

A control containing reagents without the intended sample analyte, used to evaluate possible contamination or background response.

A sample expected to produce a specified positive response, used to check whether an analytical procedure is functioning.

A sample expected not to produce the target response, used to detect contamination or nonspecific reactions.

A sample of background material collected to assess whether the underlying surface contributes substances or effects relevant to the evidence.

Unintended transfer of material from one sample or analytical run into a subsequent sample or run.

Unintended transfer of material between samples, evidence items, environments, or processing equipment.

It reduces the risk that amplified DNA products will contaminate low-template samples or preparation areas.

An assessment of an analyst's or laboratory's performance using test materials with results evaluated against specified criteria.

A proficiency test in which the examiner does not know that the submitted material is part of a performance assessment.

Evaluation of measurements or test results produced by two or more laboratories on the same or similar materials.

A systematic and documented examination of activities and records to determine conformity with specified requirements.

A failure to meet an applicable requirement, procedure, or standard.

Action taken to eliminate the cause of an identified nonconformity and reduce the likelihood of recurrence.

A structured investigation to identify underlying factors responsible for a problem or nonconformity.

An evaluation of analytical records, methods, data, interpretations, and conclusions by a qualified reviewer.

A check for completeness, consistency, required documentation, and compliance with applicable reporting procedures.

The collection of notes, observations, instrument data, calculations, and other documentation supporting a forensic examination.

An audit trail helps establish who made changes, when they occurred, and whether the original information remains recoverable.

A systematic influence on judgment arising from expectations, contextual information, or other cognitive processes.

The tendency to seek, interpret, or emphasize information that supports an existing belief or hypothesis.

Influence on an examiner's judgment from case information that is not necessary for the scientific task.

A bias-management approach in which potentially influential information is disclosed in a controlled sequence after relevant initial observations are documented.

An incorrect conclusion that a specified characteristic, condition, or association is present when it is absent.

An incorrect conclusion that a specified characteristic, condition, or association is absent when it is present.

Observed error rates depend on the method, sample difficulty, study design, decision criteria, and population of tested cases.

To report the scientifically supported findings impartially, including results that contradict the requesting party's expectations.

Investigate possible contamination or analytical problems and avoid relying on affected results until the issue is appropriately resolved.

Promptly follow laboratory correction procedures, preserve the original record, issue a documented correction, and notify affected parties as required.