Standards of practice define what professionals should do in terms of procedural steps.

• A. Standards of practice
• B. Tenets
• C. Code of ethics
• D. Canons

Answer: (A)

Standards of practice specify the procedural steps professionals should follow to perform their duties consistently and correctly. In law enforcement and crime scene investigation, this means outlining the exact sequence of actions for tasks like securing a scene, collecting and preserving evidence, documenting findings, and maintaining the chain of custody. This emphasis on the “how to” of performing work is what makes this term the best fit.

Tenets refer to fundamental beliefs or principles. A code of ethics covers moral obligations and decision-making, not the specific procedures to carry out tasks. Canons are formal rules or principles tied to a professional code, but they still focus more on overarching guidance than on the concrete steps to perform work.