Ethics and Professionalism in Forensic Anthropology serves as the first major discussion of ethics and professionalism within the field of forensic anthropology. While there have been some publications on ethics within forensic anthropology (e.g., Walsh-Haney and Lieberman 2005; France 2012; Passalacqua, Pilloud, and Gruters 2014), they are limited in scope and reach. This text serves as a general discussion on ethics, ethical guidelines, and how to act in an ethical and professional matter, while also including comprehensive discussions on topics that are seriously lacking in forensic anthropology. Finally, it sets the stage for further discussions on ethics and professionalism in forensic science.
While there are several volumes that deal with ethics in the forensic sciences in general (e.g., Barnett 2001; Bowen 2009; Upshaw Downs and Ranadive Swienton 2012), and one that deals with ethics in biological anthropology (Turner 2005), there is no volume that deals specifically with ethics in forensic anthropology. As the forensic sciences in general attempt to organize and professionalize their disciplines after the 2009 NAS report, discussions of ethics and qualifications within each subdiscipline are needed.
- Asseses the need for professional ethics
- Current ethical guidelines applicable to forensic anthropologists and their means of enforcement
- Different approaches to professionalism within the context of forensic anthropology, including issues of scientific integrity, qualifications, accreditation and quality assurance
- The use of human subjects and human remains in forensic anthropology research
- Ethical and legal issues surrounding forensic anthropological casework, including: analytical notes, case reports, peer review, incidental findings, and testimony
- Harassment and discrimination in science, anthropology, and forensic anthropology
| Preface |
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vii | |
| Acknowledgement |
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ix | |
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Chapter 1 Introduction to Professionalism, Ethics, and Forensic Anthropology |
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1 | (6) |
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Introduction to Professionalism |
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2 | (1) |
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3 | (1) |
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Introduction to Forensic Anthropology |
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3 | (2) |
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5 | (2) |
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Chapter 2 The Need for Professional Ethics |
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7 | (10) |
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Scientific Integrity: Transparency, Misconduct, and Conflicts of Interest |
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8 | (4) |
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The National Academy of Sciences Report |
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12 | (2) |
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President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology Report on Forensic Science in Criminal Courts |
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14 | (1) |
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The Need for Training and Education in Ethics |
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14 | (1) |
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15 | (2) |
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Chapter 3 Current Ethical Guidelines and a Theory of Ethics |
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17 | (14) |
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Ethics in Forensic Science |
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17 | (1) |
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Current Professional Organizations and Codes of Ethics for Forensic Anthropologists |
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18 | (6) |
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Means of Lodging a Complaint and Enforcement of Ethical Violations |
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24 | (2) |
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26 | (3) |
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Considerations for Expanding Ethical Codes in Forensic Anthropology |
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29 | (1) |
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30 | (1) |
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Chapter 4 Defining the Role of the Forensic Anthropologist |
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31 | (18) |
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Professionalism and the Profession of Forensic Anthropology |
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31 | (2) |
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Qualifications, Certifications, and Accreditations in Forensic Anthropology |
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33 | (8) |
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41 | (2) |
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Who Can Perform Forensic Anthropological Casework? |
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43 | (3) |
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For Whom Do Forensic Anthropologists Work? |
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46 | (1) |
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47 | (2) |
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Chapter 5 The Use of Human Subjects in Forensic Anthropology Research |
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49 | (18) |
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49 | (8) |
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Research in Forensic Anthropology |
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57 | (4) |
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Treatment of the Dead in Nonforensic Circumstances |
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61 | (2) |
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A Way Forward: Considerations for Forensic Anthropology |
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63 | (2) |
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65 | (2) |
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Chapter 6 Reporting and Testifying in Forensic Anthropology |
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67 | (18) |
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Analytical Approaches to Forensic Anthropological Casework |
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67 | (2) |
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69 | (4) |
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Reports in Forensic Anthropology |
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73 | (4) |
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77 | (1) |
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78 | (4) |
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82 | (3) |
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Chapter 7 Discrimination and Harassment in Forensic Anthropology |
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85 | (16) |
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86 | (4) |
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90 | (1) |
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Language in Publications, Reports, and Instruction |
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91 | (2) |
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Promoting Diversity in Forensic Anthropology |
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93 | (7) |
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100 | (1) |
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Chapter 8 Looking Backward and Thinking Forward |
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101 | (4) |
| Appendix A Acronyms |
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105 | (4) |
| Appendix B SWGAnth Guidelines |
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109 | (10) |
| Appendix C Websites of Ethical Codes (Accessed November 2017) |
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119 | (2) |
| References |
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121 | (10) |
| Index |
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131 | |
Dr. Passalacqua received his Ph.D. in Anthropology from Michigan State University in 2012 and was certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology in 2016. Dr. Passalacqua is an Assistant Professor and the Forensic Anthropology Program Coordinator at Western Carolina University. Prior to arriving at WCU, he worked as a deploying forensic anthropologist with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Laboratory in Oahu, Hawaii. Dr. Passalacqua is a co-founder and a current co-editor of the journal Forensic Anthropology. He is also currently a board member of the American Board of Forensic Anthropology, the chair of the Anthropology Consensus Body of the Academy Standards Board, and a member of the Anthropology sub-committee of the Organization of Scientific Area Committees. Dr. Passalacqua co-authored the award-winning textbook: Forensic anthropology: Current methods and practice, as well as the books: Ethics and professionalism in forensic anthropology, and A laboratory manual for forensic anthropology. Dr. Passalacqua also has numerous publications in such journals as: Forensic Anthropology, The American Journal of Physical Anthropology, The International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, and The Journal of Forensic Sciences, as well as chapters in such books as: Skeletal trauma analysis: Case studies in context, The analysis of burned human remains, Age estimation of the human skeleton, and A companion to forensic anthropology. Dr Pilloud is an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Reno. Prior to this appointment she was a forensic anthropologist at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Anthropology and a Registered Professional Archaeologist.
Dr. Pilloud is currently the co-editor of Dental Anthropology and serves on the editorial board of Scientific Reports. Her research interests focus on the human skeleton and how it can inform our understanding of human behavior in archaeological contexts and also be used in a forensic context as part of the biological profile. She is particularly interested in the application of dental morphology and metrics to answering research questions in both of these realms. She has active bioarchaeological research programs in Neolithic Anatolia and prehistoric California, and regularly consults with law enforcement agencies to complete forensic anthropological casework. She has numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes. She is also the co-editor of the volume Biological Distance Analysis: Forensic and Bioarchaeological Perspectives.
