Topic: Bullet Black Box Study Requesting Participation

[Robert Thompson]

NIST/Noblis Forensic Firearms Examiner Bullet Black Box StudyRequesting Participation
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility of bullet
comparisons by firearms examiners. The study is being conducted by Noblis and NIST.
Study Overview
Participants will conduct 100 comparisons over a period of approximately 6-7 months. The test will be
conducted by sending the physical samples to the participants in 10 packets, each of which contains
10 bullet sets for comparison. The test samples will be a range of bullets that will be collected under
ground-truth controlled conditions, attempting to be as broadly representative of casework as
practical. Firearms, calibers, and ammunition frequently encountered in casework will be used.
Custom web-based software will be used to record examiner responses, and transmit responses back
to the test administrators.
Participation
Participation will be open to US firearms examiners who have conducted operational casework in the
past year. Participation is contingent upon receipt of a signed consent form. Participants are required
to complete an on-line background questionnaire.
Confidentiality
All questionnaire information and test results will be kept separate from personally identifiable
information so that results cannot be associated with specific individuals, even for the members of
the test administration and data analysis teams.
Individual results
Participants will be given a code that will allow them to access their own results in an appendix to the
published report, if they choose to do so.
Reporting
The results will be presented at forensic science conferences and submitted for publication in a peerreviewed
journal. Results will be classified by the education, training, and experience categories
established in the background questionnaire and aggregated across multiple examiners.

Interested in participating? Email Firearms@noblis.org