The report draws on the work of key figures in fingerprint research, each contributing from different angles. Sir Francis Galton, a British scientist, was the first to systematically study fingerprints, proving their uniqueness and creating classification methods. Dr. Harold Cummins, an American anthropologist, expanded on this by examining the development and variation of fingerprints across populations. Dr. Howard Gardner, though not focused on fingerprints, influenced the field through his theories on multiple intelligences and pattern recognition.