The minimum academic qualifications for becoming a trainee in fiber examination are a BA/BS degree in a natural or applied science and completion of the following undergraduate or graduate courses: 1 year or equivalent of general chemistry with laboratory work, 1 year or equivalent of organic chemistry with laboratory work, and general biology with laboratory work. Also required to become a trainee is structured course work in analytical/instrumental analysis, basic microscopy and polarized light microscopy, and fiber microscopy. Through the training program described in this manual, the trainee is expected to build on his/her formal educational background by gaining theoretical knowledge and practical skills in 12 areas essential for the specialized analysis of fibers. The training period is 12 months of full time participation for the inexperienced trainee with no prior forensic experience. The training includes casework observation, supervised casework, examinations, and a mock trial. The chapters of this manual address an introduction to fibers and textiles, fiber transfer and persistence, casework familiarization/search and recovery, microscopy review, fiber examinations/preliminary observations, identification of vegetable fibers, the identification of animal textile fibers, the identification of inorganic fibers, manufactured fiber examination, fiber examination, textile examinations, cordage examinations, and interpretation and presentation. The format for each chapter includes a general discussion of the topic, learning objectives, and training steps and checklists. Appended reading assignments and practical exercises