- 01 Introduction
- 02 Biology of DNA
- 03 Practical Issues Specific to DNA Evidence
- 04 Introduction to the Forensic DNA Laboratory
- 05 Assuring Quality in DNA Testing
- 06 Understanding a Forensic DNA Lab Report
- 07 Statistics and Population Genetics
- 08 Mitochondrial DNA & Y-STR Analysis
- 09 Forensic DNA Databases
- 10 Collection of DNA Evidence from Suspects and Arrestees
- 11 Pretrial DNA Evidence Issues
- 12 Victim Issues
- 13 Trial Presentation
- 14 Postconviction DNA Cases
- 15 Emerging Trends
Principles of Forensic DNA
for Officers of the Court
for Officers of the Court
Module 5 :: Assuring Quality
Topic 1 :: Introduction to Quality Assurance
Handling of Test Items
Forensic science places stringent requirements on the handling of test items to ensure their integrity. Chain of custody and retention of samples for retesting are non-technical examples.
In regard to testing, the laboratory must have and apply procedures to protect test items from avoidable loss, contamination, and degradation. These begin with the packaging and preservation of samples and apply continuously through processing, testing, and short- and long-term storage.
