The value of peer-reviewed research has been the subject of much debate over many years, and is not a debate unique to forensic science. What makes research in forensic science distinct from other academic research is the potential impact of it. We rely on peer reviewed publications not only as a pool of knowledge to draw from when formulating our opinions, but also as a means of validating our internal processes. For UKAS accredited labs, or those aiming for UKAS accreditation, the 17025 standard states merely that "...the laboratory shall select appropriate methods that have been published either in international, regional, or national standards, or by reputable technical organizations, or in relevant scientific texts or journals..." but no specific mention of peer-review is made. The standard is silent relating to what constitutes a reputable technical organization or a scientific text or journal.
The value of peer-reviewed research has been called into question by the Omagh verdict in relation to its use as a means of validating internal laboratory processes, and the issue of validation of forensic methods is being dealt with by the home office regulator .
Whatever the outcome of the Forensic Regulator's work regarding this issue, the fact remains that operational forensic science laboratories need to publish their work. For the ultimate measure of R&D these days is not in the number of citations, it is in whether or not R&D projects can transfer successfully into day-to-day operations, perhaps even conveying the laboratory with a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Delays in moving R&D work into operations caused by the wait for published approval can be fatal, after all budgets do not stand still in awe of scientific journals.
So, right now, operational forensic science R&D needs a process to get the work published quickly and in a manner that allows some transparent peer-review to take place. Do laboratories need traditional forensic science journals to achieve this? Is there another way to achieve this?
Global Forensic Science Today http://www.globalforensicsciencetoday.net/ appears to be a good start. It's great that you can download the issue at a minimal cost and that the articles are written by experienced operational forensic scientists. It does not appear to be peer-reviewed in the traditional sense, but if a simple, quick, online system could be developed to provide the peer-review, it could be the perfect solution.
