Forensic scientists' conclusions: how readable are they for non-scientist report-users?

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Scientific Communication

Background:

• Ethical obligation for scientists to ensure public understanding of findings used in the criminal justice system.
• Effective communication of scientific expert opinion to non-scientist audiences is crucial but under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the readability of conclusions in forensic glass analysis proficiency tests.
• To identify specific linguistic and structural features that hinder comprehension by non-scientist readers.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 111 conclusions from a forensic glass analysis proficiency test.
• Application of readability statistics (e.g., Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease).
• Descriptive analysis of text features including structure, sentence complexity, vocabulary, and coherence.

Main Results:

• Conclusions averaged 23 words per sentence, with half in active voice.
• Readability scores indicated a difficult reading level (Grade 13, Flesch Reading Ease 42).
• Textual features contributing to low readability were identified, posing challenges for non-scientists.

Conclusions:

• Scientific conclusions in forensic reports are often too complex for non-scientist stakeholders in the criminal justice system.
• Recommendations are provided to enhance the readability of scientific expert reports while maintaining scientific integrity.
• Further research will examine the readability of entire expert reports.