Our research

We strongly believe in the use of evidence-based practices that are grounded in published empirical research.

Our research includes the validation of forensic methods and testing approaches to training, the performance of practitioners and technology, and researching the psychology of forensic decision making.

Our team have authored and contributed to many published articles with numerous academic collaborators.

Below is an up-to-date list of publications we have been involved with.

If you would like to collaborate with us on a research project get in touch.

  • The first study to empirically test the effects of facial ageing on the performance of facial image comparison. The data revealed that individual forensic facial examiners were still more accurate than novices even with a large age gap between the compared faces. Teams of examiners further outperformed individual examiners. However, examiners were no better than novices at estimating the age of a face, highlighting limitations in the expertise of forensic face examiners.

    Published; 2024

    DOI: doi.org/10.1002/acp.4153

  • The study tested forensic face examiners, teams of examiners and state of the art algorithms in the comparison of masked to unmasked faces, in light of changing behaviours and increased mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Examiner teams and algorithms provided the highest levels of performance on the task highlighting the potential benefits of combining these two types of expertise in forensic contexts.

    Published: Under review

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/3s47m

  • A landmark study comparing different types of expertise in facial identification. Innately high performing super recognisers, trained forensic facial examiners and artificial deep neural networks were compared across a range of facial comparison tests. The results highlighted stark differences in perception and decision making between the different types of expertise, and in particular the fact that although all groups made errors, they made different types of errors. The study recommended that certain types of expertise are better suited to different roles and combining expertise from different sources provides an additive performance gain.

    Published: 2023

    DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-28632-x

  • Eye-tracking technology was used to analyse the viewing strategies of forensic facial examiners, fingerprint experts and novices on a challenging facial comparison task. The results revealed markedly similar viewing strategies across the three groups, indicating the performance advantage of forensic facial examiners is not derived from qualitative differences in how examiners view faces compared to untrained people.

    Published: 2022

    DOI: doi.org/10.1002/acp.4027

  • A survey of 24 international agencies that conduct forensic facial examiner training revealed that in general forensic face examiners are trained for long periods of time and that one-to-one mentoring of examiners was commonplace. However, the survey also found variability in the types of topics covered in training and low inclusion of evidence-based training practices.

    Published: 2021

    DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.110947

  • A book chapter published in Forensic Face Matching: Research & Practice that provides an overview of forensic facial comparison in the UK in the past 30 years, including past and current criticisms of the field and case studies that have challenged and tested facial comparison procedures.

    Published: 2021

    DOI: doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198837749.003.0007

  • Despite being commercially available, prior to this publication, short facial identification training courses had not been test and empirically validated as to their effectiveness. This study tested both online and in person facial comparison training courses ranging in duration from one hour to three days. The results found no improvements for courses less than three days, and only limited inconsistent improvements for the in person three day course. The study recommended evidenced-based practices to improve facial comparison performance.

    Published: 2019

    DOI: doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211037

  • Super recognisers are individuals who are purported to have innate superior ability in identifying faces and there has been growing interest in using these high performing individuals in policing and other security applications. This commentary recommended that tests used to recruit super recognisers must reflect the role and tasks they will undertake, and that the design of such tests requires collaboration and cooperation between researchers and applied users.

    Published: 2019

    DOI: doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12394

  • Photo anthropometry is a quantitative technique that has been used in forensic facial image comparison, based on the ratio of distances between facial features. This study tested the technique on images of the same person taken at various resolutions of CCTV and different camera angles. The results found that variations in pixel resolution, camera angle and locating facial landmarks introduced greater variation into the measurements of the same persons face than were found between different persons. This research influenced international good practice in recommending that photo anthropometry not be used in forensic facial image comparison

    Year published: 2011

    DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2011.06.023

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