Introduction to Forensic Science

A set of practice flashcards covering key concepts, definitions, and historical milestones in forensic science based on the provided lecture notes.

What is forensic science?

The application of scientific methods to public matters, especially to crime and civil law; in this course, the application of science to criminal matters.

Name the major branches of forensic science mentioned in the notes.

Criminalistics, Pathology, Anthropology, Odontology, Engineering, Entomology, Behavioral Forensic Sciences, and Digital Evidence.

What is criminalistics?

The analysis of physical evidence generated by crime scenes, including the broad field of various pattern and physical evidence such as fingerprints, firearms, and questioned documents.

Who coined the term 'criminalistics' and is often considered the father of forensic science in the United States?

Paul Kirk.

What is forensic pathology?

Determination of the cause and manner of death in unattended or suspicious deaths; the forensic pathologist is a medical doctor who specializes in pathology.

What is forensic anthropology?

Analysis of skeletal remains to determine if bones are human or animal, gender, age, ancestry, and sometimes cause of injury; includes facial reconstruction.

What is forensic odontology?

Dentistry applied to forensic cases, including bite mark analysis and identification through dental records.

What is forensic engineering?

Application of engineering principles to forensic cases, including failure analysis and traffic accident reconstruction.

What is forensic entomology?

Study of insect activity on corpses to estimate time since death and to gather other forensic information.

What are Behavioral Forensic Sciences?

Forensic psychiatry and psychology contributions, including competency, interrogation methods, and crime reconstruction.

What is digital evidence (digital forensics)?

Evidence from computers and other electronic devices; recovering data, handling devices, and solving crimes or testing security.

What is the origin of the word forensic?

Derived from forum, the Latin word for public; forensic science implies science applied to public matters, often in court or criminal contexts.

What does the depth and breadth of forensic science mean?

Any science can be forensic if it has an application to justice; many disciplines can have forensic applications.

How is forensic science different from Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)?

CSI usually refers to collecting evidence at the scene (often police-trained) while forensic science focuses on analyzing evidence in the lab and offering expert testimony; overlap exists but they are distinct functions.

What are the three major sections of a typical forensic science laboratory?

Intake, Analysis (the main lab area), and Storage/Other sections (with secure custody and chain-of-custody procedures).

Where is the FBI Laboratory located?

Quantico, Virginia.

What is FEPAC?

Forensic Science Education Program Accreditation Commission; accredits BS/MS degree programs in forensic science to ensure rigorous standards.

What was the NAS 2009 report about?

Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward; provided 13 recommendations for reform and improvement of forensic science.

What is NCFS?

National Commission on Forensic Science, a body created to enhance practice and reliability of forensic science; formed under DOJ/Commerce (NIST) and disbanded in 2017.

What is OSAC?

Organization of Scientific Area Committees under NIST; replaces SWGs to develop and promote robust forensic standards; overseen by the Forensic Science Standards Board.

What are SWGs?

Scientific Working Groups; expert groups that produced best-practice documents; later reorganized into OSAC and its subcommittees.

What is Locard’s Exchange Principle?

The principle that every contact leaves a trace; investigators can transfer material between a suspect and scene, creating trace evidence.

Who first classified fingerprints into major types, and who later popularized fingerprint classification in different regions?

John Purkinji first classified fingerprints into nine major types; Francis Galton published the first book on fingerprints; Henry and Vucetich developed widely used classification systems.

Who introduced DNA fingerprinting in 1984?

Sir Alec Jeffreys; DNA fingerprinting solved a double-murder case in England; PCR (developed by Kary Mullis) underpins modern DNA typing.

Who established the first crime laboratory in the United States?

August Vollmer, chief of police in Los Angeles.

What is the Paul Kirk Award?

The highest award given by the Criminalistics section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) for distinguished contributions.

What is the largest area of forensic science?

Criminalistics, which deals with the analysis of physical evidence from crime scenes.

What are the two major duties of a forensic scientist in a crime lab?

Analyze evidence and testify in court.

What is an intake section in a crime laboratory?

The front-section where evidence is logged into the laboratory information system (LIMS) and barcodes are attached to items.

What is the status of the United Kingdom’s forensic science system as described in the notes?

The UK abandoned the Forensic Science Service (FSS) and moved to private, pay‑as‑you‑go services; forensic services are mostly delivered by private labs.

Approximately how many crime laboratories are there in the United States?

About 400 forensic science laboratories.