Linear Sequential Unmasking–Expanded (LSU-E): A general approach for improving decision making as well as minimizing noise and bias

A practical tool for information management in forensic decisions: Using Linear Sequential Unmasking-Expanded (LSU-E) in casework

“…There are several existing frameworks for how forensic laboratories might implement information management protocols to combat cognitive bias. Perhaps the most prominent example is LSU [ 2 , 3 ], which was designed to manage the impact of biasing information and increase transparency. LSU is an approach to think through and organize forensic analyses based on the information available, how that information should be categorized (again, see Fig.…”

“…In response to these issues, Dror and Kukucka [ 3 ] recently expanded LSU into LSU-Expanded (LSU-E), so that the framework could be applied to any forensic domain and would improve decision making in general, rather than focusing solely on minimizing bias. Under the LSU-E framework, examiners (or SOPs) make a priori determinations about what information to consider and in what order.…”

“…Relevance refers to the degree to which the information is essential and central to the analytic task. A detailed discussion of these parameters can be found in Dror and Kukucka's [ 3 ] paper introducing LSU-E.…”

“…The goal of this article and worksheet creation was to provide a tool that examiners can immediately use to think through the potential sources of cognitive bias in their analyses, including practical solutions to these threats. Furthermore, by using LSU-E to optimize the order of information will not only reduce cognitive bias effects, but also reduce ‘noise’ and improve the consistency in results (repeatability and reproducibility between and within examiners) [ 3 , 17 ].…”

“…Then, we introduce the concept of “information management.” Broadly, context or information management frameworks are clear, standardized strategies to guide the collection, administration, and use of data in a way that minimizes bias and improves the quality of complex decisions. Linear Sequential Unmasking ( LSU , [ 2 ]) and LSU-Expanded ( LSU-E , [ 3 ]) are examples of context management frameworks created for forensic scientists and form the basis of our main recommendations in this article. We then introduce a practical worksheet that introduces a way to facilitate and standardize the implementation of LSU-E in forensic practice.…”