About Scientific Working
Groups
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. Current SWGs include 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
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
In early 1998, the
FBI Laboratory performed a strategic review of all
SWGs. This review determined the need for
administrative and web-based support for the
entire SWG effort. To achieve this, the FBI
Laboratory has worked collaboratively with the
National Forensic Science Technology Center (NFSTC). The
NFSTC has provided assistance with the following:
- Developing and
implementing optimal business processes that
will establish and maintain consistency in SWG
organization, life cycle, and business
processes.
- Establishing
mechanisms that ensure laboratory management's
strong commitment and support for personnel
participating in and contributing to the SWGs.
- Establishing an
infrastructure for effective communication
within and among SWGs and the national and
international forensic communities.
- Conducting
studies on alternate models to increase
awareness, improve effectiveness, and reduce
costs.
* During the 1990s, several US Government-supported
forensic working groups were formed and
met for one-day to one-week for the purpose of
addressing a specific topic. Circa 1999, the
working group names for long-term working groups
addressing forensic science disciplines were changed
to SWGs to differentiate their activities and
documents from short-term groups.
