> Outlining the need for the research, the authors suggested that better DNA sequencing could help the police identify suspects in cases. “A clear knowledge of

> Outlining the need for the research, the authors suggested that better DNA sequencing could help the police identify suspects in cases. “A clear knowledge of the genetic variation is important for understanding the origin and demographic history of the ethnicity of the populations in Xinjiang … [which] may offer an investigative lead for the police.” The placement of the ellipsis in the quote ("Xinjiang … [which] may offer") is highly misleading: it implies that the authors stated that "understanding the origin and demographic history of the ethnicity of the populations in Xinjiang" is itself "what may offer an investigative lead for the police". The full quote from the redacted article [1] shows that this is simply a misrepresentation: the authors were talking about AIMs (ancestry informative markers), whose forensic applications are well-known and routinely pointed out in forensics papers. (E.g. from an unrelated forensics paper: "Ancestry informative markers (AIMs) are used in forensic genetics to infer biogeographical ancestry (BGA) of individuals and may also have a prominent role in future police and identification investigations" (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2020.00966/full https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2020.0096...)) Also downplayed/omitted from the news report: (i) The article is published in Forensic Science International: Genetics, a journal explicitly "dedicated to the applications of genetics in the administration of justice" [2]; (ii) The lead "Chinese" author is a Uyghur, with a Ph.D. in forensic genetics from the University of Copenhagen; (iii) the use of genetic forensics is a global practice important in solving major cases like the Golden State Killer and the Boston Strangler. [1] https://www.fsigenetics.com/action/showPdf?pii=S1872-4973%2819%2930041-9 https://www.fsigenetics.com/action/showPdf?pii=S1872-4973%28... [2] https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15751467 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15751467