1. Introduction
It is undisputed that forensic trace evidence analysis has undergone major changes since the times when analysis was confined to broadly trained general practitioners analyzing a wide
range of traces using a light microscope. Some of these changes parallel those that have occurred generally within the forensic sciences, others reflect the impact of changing priorities, and others reflect the impact of new technologies.
A complex problem has emerged that is reflected in the diminishing use of trace evidence, reductions in funding and open debate regarding the viability of the discipline. This paper is offered as a critical review of the nature and causes of the problem, helping to define and understand objectives, but stopping short of considering possible alternative solutions. This is intentional.
It is both confounding and confusing to hold the debate about a problem together with a debate about the solution; disagreements about one become interwoven with disagreements about the
other. Solutions can be offered and debated based not on how they address a well-defined problem, but rather because those offering the solutions view the problem differently.
It is our strongly held view that to compare different solutions we must start with a
common problem and, as such, this work is intended to provide the foundation for constructive consideration of alternative solutions (or indeed, a more focused debate on the problem).