Implementing context information management in forensic casework: Minimizing contextual bias in firearms examination

•Domain-irrelevant context information might bias the forensic examiner.•Context information management (CIM) can minimize the risk of bias.•The context information manager ensures a correct management of context information.•It is possible to implement efficient context information management in forensic casework.

Managing context information in forensic casework aims to minimize task-irrelevant information while maximizing the task-relevant information that reaches the examiner. A design and implementation of context information management (CIM) is described for forensic firearms examination. Guided by a taxonomy of different sources of context information, a flow-chart was constructed that specifies the process of casework examination and context information management. Due to the risk of bias, another examiner may need to be involved when context information management is unsuccessful. Application of context information management does not make a subjective examination objective, but can limit the risks of bias with a minimal investment of time and resources.