Scientific Working Group

Since the early 1990s, the US FBI Laboratory has sponsored Scientific Working Groups (SWG) to improve discipline practices and create mutual agreements between federal, state, and local forensic community partners. In 2004 there were nine working groups:

• SWGDAM - DNA Analysis
• SWGDE - Digital Evidence
• SWGDOC - Questioned Documents
• SWGDRUG - Analysis of Seized Drugs
• SWGFAST - Latent Fingerprints
• SWGGUN - Firearms and Toolmarks
• SWGIT - Imaging Technologies
• SWGMAT - Materials
• SWGSTAIN - Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

Additional recommended knowledge

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Guide to balance cleaning: 8 simple steps

Each SWG is made up of members from within the focus field. The SWGs have a common working framework that is based on the Scientific Working Group Bylaws.

The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) publishes the ASCLD NEWS newsletter three time a year in April, August, and December. This newsletter contains updates from the individual SWGs.