Forensic Software – Issues of Validation and Verification in an ISO17025 Environment

With the development of extended DNA multiplexes, STR analysis is becoming more sensitive and complex DNA profiles more prevalent and forensic scientists require more advanced modelling methodologies to interpret complex DNA mixtures or complex relationship questions. Increasingly, these issues require forensic software solutions.

How can the software vendor, supplier, or user assure a court that the software application has been appropriately validated for use in an ISO17025 environment?

This workshop will explore the issues relating to the validation and verification of forensic software and will challenge the participants to consider the process used in their own laboratories.

Learning Outcomes:

1. To understand some of the current issues being faced by laboratories developing or using forensic software. Examples to include FST (New York), STRmix (ESR, New Zealand) and TrueAllele, (Cybergenetics, USA)
2. To understand what is involved in the development, production and testing of software for the forensic market
3. To understand what constitutes validation of forensic software and is this different from the verification of an application
4. To discuss whether the standards for validation of commercially supplied software for forensic casework should differ from that of ‘freeware’
5. To discuss where the responsibility for validation of a forensic software application lies – with the vendor or supplier or the end-user

Intended Audience:

The workshop is designed to inform and challenge DNA scientists working with, or considering the implementation of, forensic software applications for the probabilistic interpretation of DNA mixtures or DNA relationship (kinship) analyses.