Are inconclusive decisions in forensic science as deficient as they are said to be?

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Version: Final published version
License: CC BY 4.0
Serval ID
serval:BIB_E28CCD0451CE
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Are inconclusive decisions in forensic science as deficient as they are said to be?
Journal
Frontiers in Psychology
Author(s)
Biedermann Alex, Bozza Silvia, Taroni Franco, Vuille Joëlle
ISSN
1664-1078 (Electronic)
Publication state
Published
Issued date
19/03/2019
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
10
Number
520
Pages
1-9
Language
english
Notes
Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant No. BSSGI0_155809 ), The University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor, MI (Michigan Grotius Research Fellowship)
Abstract
Many quarters of forensic science use reporting formats such as “identification,” “inconclusive,” and “exclusion.” These types of conclusions express opinions as to whether or not a particular person or object is the source of the material or traces of unknown source that is of interest in a given case. Rendering an “inconclusive” conclusion is sometimes criticized as being inadequate because—supposedly—it does not provide recipients of expert information with helpful directions. In this paper, we critically examine this claim using decision theory. We present and defend the viewpoint according to which deciding to render an “inconclusive” conclusion is, on a formal account, not as inadequate as may commonly be thought. Using elements of decision theory from existing accounts on the topic, we show that inconclusive conclusions can actually be viable alternatives with respect to other types of conclusions, such as “identification.”
Keywords
forensic science, evidence evaluation, probabilistic inference, decision making, reporting formats
Open Access
Yes
Create date
19/03/2019 11:50
Last modification date
20/08/2019 17:06
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