Start with a problem that can be tested
A useful collaboration identifies the unresolved forensic question, candidate method and evidence needed to assess it. RHEM Labs’ research programme grows from examination and interpretation problems encountered in forensic practice.
The aim is a defensible method with understood limits. A promising result on a defined dataset is a starting point for further testing, not a universal performance claim.
Where collaboration can help
- Representative datasets with documented provenance, permissions and processing histories.
- Evaluation designs separating development, calibration and held-out testing.
- Independent replication, comparison and investigation of failure conditions.
- Integration studies that preserve source identity, method versions and interpretable outputs.
- Technical research on digital traces, acquisition and image provenance.
SPOT is one current programme. Its published experiment, experimental comparison and open research questions are available for scrutiny. SPOT for Defence describes a potential application and the evaluation work needed before operational use.
Agree the research arrangements
Before exchanging unpublished data, agree scope, data handling, access, intellectual property and publication arrangements.
Explore the publication records, research notes and expert profile. Contact the laboratory with the question, proposed contribution and desired outcome. Do not submit confidential data through the website.