LABORATORY PROFICIENCY TESTING PROGRAM - REPORT NO 17 METAL EXAMINATION

• NCJ Number: 47538
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 22 pages
• Grant Number(s): 76-NI-99-0091
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Forensic Sciences Foundation Press
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

TEST ANALYSES OF 3 METAL SAMPLES PERFORMED BY 68 FORENSIC LABORATORIES ARE DOCUMENTED IN CHARTS AND TABLES.

Abstract

THE REPORT IS ONE OF A SERIES OF LABORATORY PROFICIENCY TEST DOCUMENTS. EACH LABORATORY WAS SENT THREE METAL SAMPLES REPRESENTING EVIDENCE COLLECTED IN CONNECTION WITH A CRIMINAL CASE. THE LABORATORIES WERE TO DETERMINE WHETHER ANY OF THE SAMPLES COULD HAVE COME FROM THE SAME SOURCE AND TO INDICATE THEIR METHODS OF ANALYSIS. IN REALITY, SAMPLES B AND C WERE THE SAME METAL (A TYPE OF STEEL). OF THE RESPONDING LABORATORIES, 62 (93.9 PERCENT) RESPONDED THAT A AND B WERE NOT THE SAME, 61 (92.4 PERCENT) RESPONDED THAT A AND C WERE NOT THE SAME, AND 41 (77.3 PERCENT) RESPONDED THAT B AND C WERE THE SAME. DETAILS OF THE LABORATORIES' METHODS AND FINDINGS -- INCLUDING A BREAKDOWN OF RESPONSES FROM INDIVIDUAL LABORATORIES -- ARE PRESENTED IN TABLES. SURVEY METHODS ARE EXPLAINED, AND A COPY OF THE STUDY INSTRUMENT IS PROVIDED. PROFICIENCY TESTS INVOLVING OTHER FORMS OF PHYSICAL EVIDENCE ARE REPORTED IN NCJ-47522-47537 AND 47539-47542. (LKM)