Collaboration of Forensic Interviewing Group

Our research in forensic interviewing looks at contemporary issues affecting how we gather reliable and complete information to allow for informed criminal justice decision-making, such as how information from the scene of a crime can be gathered, protected and interpreted.

Psychological research has repeatedly shown that information is only as good as the initial communication and memory tools used to gather it. If the information elicited or collected is less than full and faithful, then poor decisions – based on poor information – are likely to follow. Vital details can be missed, miscarriages of justice can occur, and investigations can fail – but our research is working to prevent this. 

The Collaboration of Forensic Interviewing (CoFI) brings together an international network of researchers and practitioners that is driven to achieve excellence through partnerships, exchanges and research collaborations. Membership includes people from Australia, Canada, China, Cyprus, Dubai, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, and USA. 

Through a programme of research and innovation activities, the group aims to develop new research opportunities, conduct ground-breaking projects that support real world problems, and mentor group members at any stage of their career. 

Research impact

CoFI is at the forefront of research into police interview techniques. Our research on best practice in dealing with traumatised interviewees was drawn on directly in the aftermath of terror attacks, such as those in the UK, Norway, France and the USA. 

Our research has demonstrated the importance of careful triage of victims and witnesses using appropriate interview techniques, both to avoid further harm, and to extract essential investigative information rapidly and effectively. This research now forms the basis of Witness Interview Strategies for Critical Incidents (WISCI), a framework for policy and practice adopted by UK police, and by international partner organisations. This is a vital contribution to public safety confronted with the increasing threat, and reality, of terror attacks.

Our research has also helped to create procedures that improve the quality of interviews of witnesses, victims, intelligence sources, and suspects of crime across many countries, including: 

• National and International Guidance, Policy and Practice: e.g. Achieving Best Evidence Guidance (Ministry of Justice, 2007; 2011; 2022)
• UN Police training manual (2021)
• UN Mendez principles (2021)
• Improving Witness Testimony, Parliament Briefing (2019)

Facilities

With industry-standard digital recording equipment, and access to academic knowledge of forensic interviewing procedures and practical policing, CoFI provides a range of opportunities for practitioners, students and academics within the ever-growing world of investigative interviewing.

Digital recording equipment (provided by Indico Systems) captures audio and video from our fully-furnished interview rooms, and saves all files securely to a private network. This allows users to show live footage of an interview, scan through recordings, and bookmark significant moments.

Teaching and training

Teaching

Explore the full range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees we offer within the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. 

You can also read about our short courses and CPD programmes in criminal justice studies, or find postgraduate research opportunities in Criminology. If you are interested in beginning a research project, please contact Professor Becky Milne in the first instance.

Training

Training is available for all types of investigator, from those learning the basics to advanced practitioners.

Our programmes are designed to share techniques to investigators to obtain the optimal evidence from interviews with suspects, victims and witnesses while emphasising transparency, ethical values and the requirements that all evidence should be admissible in criminal and civil environments. All programmes meet the UK National Occupational standards and are delivered by academics and experienced practitioners in the field. The following courses are available:

• PIP Level 2 & PIP Level 2 Specialist
• Training for trainers
• Investigative interviewing: the SIO perspective
• Investigative interviewing: the fundamentals

The Centre provides a practical policing solution in a University environment for investigative interviewing - one of the first of its kind. 

Assessment of interviewer skill competence

We offer an assessment service of organisations' interviewer skills, providing feedback at individual interviewer level and organisational advice.

Masterclasses

The Masterclass programme is a series of workshops led by international experts, both academics and practitioners, in areas such as detecting deceit, vulnerable groups (people with learning disability, people with mental disorders, children and the elderly), sex offenders, the role of the intermediary, and fitness for interview. 

Bespoke training

Where a course is not currently available to meet your training needs, we can produce bespoke packages to fit your specific organisational requirements. 

Past events

Completed training events cover themes such as:

• Interviewing suspects in cases of alleged sex crime
• Historic abuse cases: psychological and investigative challenges
• Analysing investigative information using SE3R
• Putting theory into practice – interviews with suspects in the real world
• Interviewing vulnerable adults with intellectual disabilities
• Interview strategy: the SIO perspective
• The cognitive interview
• The content analysis approach in assessing statement credibility

Partnerships and collaborations

The group works closely with the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group (iIIRG), a network of people with collaborative interests, working with international bodies committed to improving investigative interviewing (internationally) and ensuring improvements are underpinned by a robust evidence base.

The group is linked with the Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats (CREST), a national hub for understanding, countering and mitigating security threats. Read Becky Milne's CREST Guide to the Cognitive Interview.

The group also collaborates with UK Counter-Terrorism Network and the Metropolitan Police.

The group collaborates with UK Counter-Terrorism Network and police organisations around the world. We also work closely with the Norwegian Center of Human Rights, University of Oslo. 

A number of our PhD students work for, and are funded by, criminal justice organisations including: 

• Garda Siochana
• College of Policing scholarship
• City of London Police
• Ministry of Home Affairs - Singapore
• Greater Manchester Police
• US police
• Canadian Police

Researchers