New York State Forensic Laboratory Report Standardization Manual

The New York State Crime Laboratory Advisory Committee (NYCLAC) in 2011 tasked New York State’s 10 Technical Working Groups (TWGs) to develop standardized guidelines for the wording of laboratory reports.

The New York State Forensic Laboratory Report Standardization Manual is the result of that work and represents the minimum guidelines that NYCLAC and TWG members believe should be represented in laboratory reports from the accredited forensic laboratories in New York State.

Laboratory reports are an essential tool of the criminal justice system which explain the value of evidence that has been examined in the Laboratories.  Compliance with these guidelines will help the laboratory professionals summarize their work in a manner that is both scientifically accurate and understandable to members of the criminal justice community.

The goal of this project was for the laboratories to be in voluntary compliance with this manual by January 2015.  This manual was designed to be a living document that will be reviewed and modified as necessary. NYCLAC and the TWG members will continue to oversee this process. This page will contain the current version of the manual, in addition to prior versions that will be archived for reference. 

Laboratory and/or criminal justice professionals who have questions about the report standardization project and manual may contact DCJS Office of Forensic Services at ForensicLabs@dcjs.ny.gov for more information.

New York State Forensic Laboratory Report Standardization Manual (Feb 2024, pdf)

 

Archive

NYCLAC Report Standardization Project – December 2022 to February 2024 (pdf)

NYCLAC Report Standardization Project – December 2021 to December 2022 (pdf)

NYCLAC Report Standardization Project – September 2020 to December 2021 (pdf)

NYCLAC Report Standardization Project - April 2019 - August 2020 (pdf)

NYCLAC Report Standardization Project - March 2018 - March 2019 (pdf)

NYCLAC Report Standardization Project - January 2017 - February 2018 (pdf)

NYCLAC Report Standardization Project - July 2015 - December 2016 (pdf)

NYCLAC Report Standardization Project - March 2015 - June 2015 (pdf)

NYCLAC Report Standardization Project - November 2014 - March 2015 (pdf)