Consistency vs. Cognition in Manner of Death Classification: “But That's how I Was Trained!”

Abstract

In the process of certification of manner of death, consistency and cognition can sometimes be seen to be at war. There are a number of reasons for the prevalence of practical conventions for certifying manner of death, including the desire to be consistent with one's prior manner determinations and with colleagues. Unfortunately, relying on conventions or the way that one was trained or mentored to certify certain cases may be adverse to independent thinking. A more discerning and informed sort of internal consistency is to be found in the use of a rigorous intellectual process by the individual certifier.