Uncertainty Is Inevitable: Time for a Coherent Forensic Framework
Editorial: The shifting narrative of uncertainty: a case for the coherent and consistent consideration of uncertainty in forensic science
This assessment of academic, policy, and legal sources shows that defining and detecting uncertainty in forensic science is difficult. From avoiding ambiguity to admitting its complexity at every stage of the forensic process, the industry is changing.
Despite this progress, more clarification is needed to establish more complete and effective uncertainty evaluation and reporting frameworks. A shared description and consistent identification of its manifestations across institutions are crucial to this purpose. Crime scenes, detection procedures, and forensic professionals' judgements and conclusions during reconstruction create uncertainty. Increasing emphasis has been placed on how human decision-making shapes uncertainty.
Over the past decade, awareness of uncertainty and the need to limit, measure, and explain it has grown. Despite challenges to forensic evidence, the meanings, origins, and manifestations of uncertainty remain unclear. This necessitates continual communication and collaboration among forensic science stakeholders to share viewpoints and experiences. Such engagement will recognise uncertainty's complexity and interdisciplinary character and enable its transparent and robust integration into forensic practice.
Source: Georgiou, N., Morgan, R. M., & French, J. C. (2023). The shifting narrative of uncertainty: a case for the coherent and consistent consideration of uncertainty in forensic science. Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences, 55(6), 781-797. https://doi.org/10.1080/00450618.2022.2104370
Image: OpenAI. (2026). Uncertainty in Forensic Science Infographic [AI-generated image]. ChatGPT.
