Intro to Forensic Science

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering introductory concepts, disciplines, historical developments, legal terminology, and evidence classification from Lecture 1: Introduction to Forensic Science.

Science

Knowledge attained through study, observation, experimentation, investigation, and analysis.

Forensic Science

The application of science to matters pertaining to law, which attempts to answer who, what, where, why, and when.

Scientific Method

A systematic process involving the formulation of a question worthy of investigation, formulating a reasonable hypothesis, testing the hypothesis through experimentation, and validating it to become scientific evidence.

Locard's Principle

The principle holding that the perpetrator of a crime will bring something into the crime scene and leave with something from it, both of which can be used as forensic evidence ("every contact leaves a trace").

Criminalistics

A term coined by Paul Kirk referring to comparative forensic sciences (such as fingerprints, questioned documents, firearms, and tool mark identification) as well as crime scene evidence (such as illicit drugs, blood, explosives, hairs, fiber, glass, soil, paints, bullets, casings, and plastics).

Paul Kirk

The father of forensic science in the U.S. who coined the term "criminalistics".

Forensic Pathologist

A medical professional responsible for determining the cause and manner of death.

Cause of Death

The specific injury or disease that leads to death, explaining how the person died (e.g., natural causes, trauma, or drug/alcohol intoxication).

Manner of Death

The classification of death based on circumstances, categorized as: natural, accidental, suicide, homicide, or undetermined.

Forensic Odontology

The forensic dentistry discipline focused on examining bite marks and using dental records for human identification, especially in mass disasters.

Forensic Engineer

A specialist who assesses mechanical or structural collapses, performs accident reconstruction, and determines speed of travel and direction of impact.

Forensic Entomology

The study of the presence and life stages of insects on corpses, used to estimate the post-mortem interval of death.

Digital Forensics (Computer Forensics)

The branch of forensic science that investigates digital crimes, including child pornography, identity theft, financial fraud, video analysis, and computer hacking.

Sûreté of Paris

The first detective force, developed in France in 1810.

Edmund Locard

The founder of the first crime laboratory in France in 1910, famous for the Principle of Exchange Theory stating that "every contact leaves a trace".

Expert Witness

A person possessing specialized knowledge or skills derived from education or experience that qualifies them to draw conclusions or form opinions beyond the competence of an average person, judge, or jury.

Lay Witness

A witness (such as an eyewitness, victim, or person who knows about the accused or crime) who is permitted only to testify about direct sensory observations (what they saw, touched, heard, smelled, or tasted) without forming conclusions or opinions.

Forensic Identification Laboratory

A type of forensic lab in Canada typically housed in police facilities that conducts fingerprint analysis, organizes photographs, prepares evidence for forensic submission, and analyzes digital evidence.

Evidence Intake

A secured laboratory reception unit where evidence is logged on a form, tracked electronically, and assigned a unique laboratory identification number.

Chain of Custody

The documentation tracking the physical location and custody of evidence from the time it is collected until it is presented in court.

Identification

Forensic examination conducted to determine the physical or chemical identity of a specific substance.

Comparison Analysis

The testing procedure subjecting both a suspect specimen and a standard or reference specimen to identical examinations to determine whether they share a common origin.

Individual Characteristics

Properties of physical evidence that can be associated with a common source with an extremely high degree of probability (e.g., DNA, fingerprints, markings on bullets, irregular wear patterns on footwear).

Class Characteristics

Properties of physical evidence that can be associated only with a group and never with a single, unique source (e.g., car paint chips, glass, fibers, brand-new shoe tread).