ABSTRACT
Thorough documentation is critical as it ensures transparency in the forensic sciences, allows a second examiner to see the work that was done by the first examiner, and limits the influence of cognitive bias. Documentation is performed at every step in a fingerprint analysis. It includes taking contemporaneous notes during processing, Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) searches and comparisons; taking photographs before, during, and after each development process; completing worksheets and forms; writing final narrative reports; and preparing visual aids to use in court. Digital photographs should be taken in a lossless format and stored as original files. When an image must be manipulated, such as when conducting digital fingerprint comparisons, a copy of the original image is created. Different lighting techniques are used to maximize the quality of the photograph. Direct lighting is used for visible prints, oblique lighting for three-dimensional prints, front directional lighting for concave or reflective surfaces, and backlighting for transparent objects.
