we look at the concept of "major case" prints.
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"Major Case" prints
Is there a better term?

At the Scientific Working Group on Friction Ridge Analysis, Study and Technology (SWGFAST) meeting held last week at the FBI academy in Quantico, VA, there was a lot of discussion about the term "major case" prints.  One of the tasks of SWGFAST was the completion of a recommendation to NIST on standardization of the areas of friction ridge skin desired to be searched by the latent print community in AFIS systems.  Part of this effort involved defining a standard card for the printing of joint and tip fingerprints.  As most of you know, the FBI already has a standard fingerprint and palm print card format.  Combined, these three cards would give latent print examiners the ability to have a complete recording of friction ridge detail from the hands contained in a standard format on a total of five 8X8 cards.

The card that will be proposed to NIST has places for rolled and flat joint fingerprints and a separate box above the joint fingerprints for tip fingerprints.  It also includes a separate box for a rolled Thenar impression from the radial side of the palm, similar to the writer's palm currently a standard on the ulnar side.  Each of these areas would have associated numeric codes for use in AFIS and printing. 

After creating the card and defining the areas for the NIST standard, the group discussed naming the new card.  SWGFAST members came up with a few proposed titles, but the group also wanted to turn to the community for suggestions on a potential new name for what we have always called "major case" prints.  I think we would all agree that the name itself implies that impressions of tip and joint fingerprints are only needed in "major cases", whatever those are!  Then, of course, there is the problem with defining what is a "major case".

So we opened up the floor to suggestions, and came up with a few that have associated acronyms:

Fully Acquired Comparison Standards (FACS)

Comprehensive Acquired Ridge Detail Standards (CARDS)

Total Area Print Standards (TAPS)

Fully Obtained Comparison Usable Standards (FOCUS)

SWGFAST would like your input!  We recognize there are probably some very good suggestions yet to be proposed.  If a new name is to be recommended, we would like to present the card and associated codes to the appropriate approval process together with the new name.

New names will be solicited through several channels, including the Detail and the associated CLPEX.com message board.  This week, please post your suggestions under the "Major Case" name change thread.  Next week we will have a vote to rank them in popularity.  A catchy acronym is a big positive in this endeavor, but is not required for entry into the CLPEX contest.  Whoever comes up with the number 1 voted name gets two free CLPEX.com t-shirts.  If that happens to be one of the names above, then the SWGFAST member who proposed the name will get the shirts.

Here are some additional words that SWGFAST used in their brainstorming efforts:

Full
Fully
Acquired
Maximal
Extended
Total
Complete
Comprehensive
Total

Case
Hand
Area
Known
Latent
Palmar
Friction Ridge
Ridge
Detail
Finger and Palm
Palmprint
Print
Area
Comparison
Usable

Prints
Recording
Exemplars  
Acquisition
Impressions
Standards

We hope some of these will get you on your way.  So get a small group together, brainstorm, have an internal contest, but have your results posted on CLPEX by Sunday, October the 9th.  As with any acronym-related endeavor, words can be combined to form some humorous acronyms, but let me thank you ahead of time for keeping it appropriate on the internet forum. 

This is your chance to have a voice in a potentially term-changing process!  So what are you waiting for?  Go for it!!

-Kasey Wertheim
Posted by recommendation of SWGFAST
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Until next Monday morning, don't work too hard or too little.

Have a GREAT week!