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Population Genetics and Statistics for Forensic Analysts

Statistics

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Introduction

Photo of statistics chart in book
National Institute of Justice (NIJ) (see reuse policy).

Statistics are important to the forensic scientist because they provide a means to quantitate uncertainty, to summarize large amounts of data into understandable terms, and to make decisions based on these summaries in the presence of uncertainty and variation. Statistics provide a means for forensic scientists to convey the significance of DNA testing results. When comparing the DNA profiles obtained from forensic evidence to that from a known individual, statistics can be used to assess the significance of an association.

 

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