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How to Improve Forensic Science

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  • Roger Koppl

Abstract

Some institutional structures for inquiry produce better approximations to truth than others. The current institutional structure of police forensics gives each lab a monopoly in the analysis of the police evidence it receives. Forensic workers have inadequate incentives to produce reliable analyses of police evidence. Competition would create such incentives. I outline a system of “competitive self regulation” for police forensics. Each jurisdiction would have several competing forensic labs. Evidence would be divided and sent to one, two, or three separate labs. Chance would determine which labs and how many would receive evidence to analyze. Competitive self regulation improves forensics by creating incentives for error detection and reducing incentives to produce biased analyses.
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Suggested Citation

  • Roger Koppl, 2005. "How to Improve Forensic Science," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 255-286, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:ejlwec:v:20:y:2005:i:3:p:255-286
    DOI: 10.1007/s10657-005-4196-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jeffry M. Netter & William L. Megginson, 2001. "From State to Market: A Survey of Empirical Studies on Privatization," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 39(2), pages 321-389, June.
    2. McQuade, Thomas J & Butos, William N, 2003. "Order-Dependent Knowledge and the Economics of Science," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 16(2-3), pages 133-152, September.
    3. McCabe, Kevin & Houser, Daniel & Ryan, Lee & Smith, Vernon & Trouard, Ted, 2001. "A Functional Imaging Study of Cooperation in Two-Person reciprocal Exchange," MPRA Paper 5172, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Susan Feigenbaum & David M. Levy, 1996. "The Technological Obsolescence Of Scientific Fraud," Rationality and Society, , vol. 8(3), pages 261-276, August.
    5. Oliver E. Williamson, 1976. "Franchise Bidding for Natural Monopolies -- in General and with Respect to CATV," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 7(1), pages 73-104, Spring.
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    Cited by:

    1. Maarten Pieter Schinkel, 2008. "Forensic Economics In Competition Law Enforcement," Journal of Competition Law and Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 4(1), pages 1-30.
    2. Roger Koppl, 2023. "Public health and expert failure," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 195(1), pages 101-124, April.
    3. Everard Cowan & Roger Koppl, 2011. "An experimental study of blind proficiency tests in forensic science," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 24(3), pages 251-271, September.
    4. Claudio Detotto & Bryan C. McCannon, 2017. "Economic freedom and public, non-market institutions: evidence from criminal prosecution," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 107-128, May.
    5. Roger Koppl, 2011. "Against representative agent methodology," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 24(1), pages 43-55, March.
    6. Robert Garnett, 2011. "Specialists and citizens all: A reply to Boettke, Koppl, and Holcombe," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 24(1), pages 71-76, March.
    7. Roger G. Koppl, 2006. "The Science Game: An Experiment on Reducing errors in Forensic Science and Other Areas," Papers on Economics and Evolution 2006-09, Philipps University Marburg, Department of Geography.

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