Since the early 1990s, American and International forensic science laboratories and practitioners have collaborated in Scientific Working Groups (SWGs) to improve discipline practices and build consensus standards. In 2014, the SWGs are being reorganized under the NIST Organization for Scientific Area Committees (OSAC). SWGs are not limited to forensic science. They are common in many other fields.
As of January 2012, active SWGs included the following:
FISWG - Facial Identification Scientific Working Group SWGANTH - Forensic Anthropology SWGCBRN - Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear SWGDAM - DNA Analysis SWGDE - Digital Evidence SWGDMI - Medicolegal Death Investigation SWGDOC - Questioned Documents SWGDOG - Dogs and Orthogonal Detection SWGDRUG - Analysis of Seized Drugs SWGDVI - Disaster Victim Identification SWGFAST - Latent Fingerprints SWGFEX - Fire and Explosives Scenes SWGGEO - Geological Materials SWGGSR - Gunshot Residue SWGGUN - Firearms and Toolmarks SWGIBRA - Illicit Business Records SWGIT - Imaging Technologies SWGMAT - Materials Analysis SWGSTAIN - Bloodstain Pattern Analysis SWGTOX - Toxicology SWGTREAD - Footwear and Tiretracks SWGWILD - Wildlife Forensics
Each SWG includes scientists working within the field of focus. Although a couple of the above-listed SWGs have only American members, most of the groups have international members. Federal, state or local government forensic laboratory scientists are the most common SWG members, but many SWGs also include other experts such as private laboratory scientists, academia, independent consultants, attorneys and judges.
Most SWGs have public websites with discipline-specific resources including approved and drafts for comment standards, best practices guidelines and related documents.
References
External links
NIST list of SWGs SWGDAM bylaws Interpol Forensics NIST OLES Forensics American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors