Date
October 2015
Overview
Due to the influx of complex mixture data, the need for mixture interpretation software tools is of growing importance to the forensic DNA community. Given the availability of open-source and commercial software options, crime laboratories must assess their needs to find the most suitable software. This report is designed to support the decision process for adoption of this technology by providing exemplary cases that illustrate successful adoption, presenting considerations and recommendations for implementation, and providing a comparison of the capabilities of the available DNA mixture interpretation software tools. Furthermore this report explores software features, validation considerations, technical support, and training options to provide a basic overview that will assist crime laboratories in the evaluation process to choose the software tool that best meets their needs.
This document provides a summary of considerations that will impact procurement, training, and validation and provides the reader with a basic understanding of DNA mixture interpretation software tools, as well as their use, benefits, and limitations.
The purpose of this report was to provide practical applications and implementation strategies for adoption of a DNA mixture interpretation software tool to assist with the challenges of complex mixture interpretation and statistical analysis.
Funding for this Forensic Technology Center of Excellence report was provided by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.
The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Justice.
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