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Forensic Science Research Guide

• Books
• Journal & Magazine Articles
• Reference Sources
• Internet Resources
• Professional Organizations

This online guide is developed specifically for those doing research in forensic science. It provides a recommended list of resources, encompassing print materials, electronic databases, and selected Internet resources. All areas of forensic science are covered, with particular emphasis on DNA analysis, forensic chemistry, and computer forensics.

Because forensic science draws from a variety of disciplines--including chemistry, physics, biology, molecular biology, physical anthropology, law, computer science criminology, pathology, engineering, psychology, and pharmacology--you may need to consult resources in those fields also.

The Forensics at Marshall University webpage is an excellent resource on Marshall's MS program.

For research help, contact Tim Balch, at 304-696-2335.

Books

Use MILES, the Marshall University Libraries online catalog to locate materials in the libraries. You can do a Basic Search by author, title, or subject if you have them. Or, do a Keyword Search. If you find a good book on your subject, look at the "full" record to see what subject headings are used; you can click on the heading to find other records on that subject. The following subject headings are examples of terms that can be searched:

• Chemistry, Forensic
• Evidence, Criminal
• Forensic scientists
• Computer crimes - Investigation
• Evidence, Expert
• Homicide investigation
• Crime laboratories
• Fingerprints
• Interviewing in law enforcement
• Criminal anthropology
• Forensic ballistics
• Legal photography
• Criminal behavior
• Forensic entomology
• Medical jurisprudence
• Criminal investigation
• Forensic genetics
• Murder investigation
• Criminal psychology
• Forensic medicine
• Police questioning
• Death - Causes
• Forensic pathology
• Writing identification
• DNA fingerprinting
• Forensic sciences

For additional useful subject headings for your topic, consult the Library of Congress Subject Headings set, available in the Drinko Library Reference Collection.

For books at other libraries, search Library catalogs over the Web. Books not owned by the Marshall University Libraries may be delivered to Marshall students from other libraries using our Information Delivery Services (IDS).

National Criminal Justice Reference Service Full-Text Publications (NCJRS)
Searches the web sites for the NCJRS, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy for full-text publications.

National Academies Press
Free online versions of more than 3,000 books published by the Press (you can also buy print or PDF versions). A search on "forensic" brings up titles like The Evaluation of Forensic DNA Evidence, DNA Technology in Forensic Science, and Black and Smokeless Powders: Technologies for Finding Bombs and the Bomb Makers.

Dissertation Abstracts
Doctoral dissertations and master's theses from over 1,000 institutions. Dissertations back to 1861 have bibliographic entries, those since 1980 add abstracts, and those since 1997 have 24 page previews and can be purchased in PDF format. Masters' theses are included since 1988.

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Journal & Magazine Articles

The online databases and indexes listed here will provide references to articles (or in some cases full-text articles) in a wide range of periodicals, from news magazines and newspapers to scholarly and professional journals. Your librarian can help you choose the best database or index. If you are off-campus and having trouble getting in to a database, see the "Ask A Librarian" page for help.

NOTE: Access to these databases is generally limited to MU students, faculty, and staff (due to our licensing agreements).

Full-Text Databases

• Academic Search Premier
  This comprehensive database features full text for nearly 4,600 journals (with some dating back to 1990); abstracts and indexing for over 8,000 journals; and coverage of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Christian Science Monitor.
  
  Hint: Because of its wide coverage, Academic Search Premier is a good starting point for articles and you should begin searching there. Remember, articles that aren't available as full-text or page-image may be available elsewhere in the Library. Use the Journals Search search engine to check.

• Wiley InterScience
  Covers over 1,000 journals, major reference works, and online books published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., with emphasis on the sciences, medicine, and law.

• Kluwer Online
  Articles in a variety of disciplines, including the biological sciences, chemistry, computer and information science, law, and medicine.

• Westlaw
  Includes the full text of a legal encyclopedia, opinions of federal and state courts, and federal and state laws and regulations. Search by keywords or case name. Excellent source for how forensic science is actually used in legal proceedings.

• JSTOR: the Scholarly Journal Archive
  Provides full text access to older issues of core journals, generally back to the first issue. The latest two to five years of a journal may not be available, but this is a great source for older articles not included in such indexes as Academic Search Premier. The most useful set of journals for forensic science is the "Statistics" discipline.

Indexes & Bibliographic Databases

• Unfortunately, there is no one index that covers all forensic science journals. Some journals are only in one index, some are selectively covered by several indexes, and some are only indexed on the publisher's web site; so you will need to try more than one source. The following databases and indexes will provide citation information (author, article title, periodical name, volume & issue, date) for articles, essays, book chapters, dissertations, and other materials. You can then use that information to see if the item is in the MU Libraries by searching the MILES catalog, or--if the item is not owned by us-- order it from another library using the Information Delivery Services (IDS).

• Medline (available from three different providers)
  Produced by the National Library of Medicine, this abstracts articles from over 4,600 current biomedical journals, covering such areas as medicine, dentistry, pre-clinical sciences. Uses Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), so start with a keyword search and look at the records to find appropriate subject headings. (Very limited number of full-text articles in the PubMed version.)

• Biological Sciences
  Abstracts and citations (back to 1982) from over 6,000 sources (journals, conference proceedings, reports, and books) in biomedicine, biotechnology, zoology, and related fields.

• Basic BIOSIS
  Covers over 350 basic core life science journals aimed at undergraduate non-biology majors; includes both scholarly and popular titles. Database has current year and most recent four years, updated monthly.

• TOXLINE
  Abstracts and citations from almost 300 sources (journals, conference proceedings, reports, and books) in toxicology, back to 1999.

• Government Periodicals Universe
  Covers about 170 titles of substantial research value published by the U.S. government (such as the FBI, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and Air Force Research Laboratory). Updated quarterly.

• National Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts Database (NCJRS)
  More than 180,000 criminal justice publications are included. Documents published by NCJRS sponsoring agencies since 1995 have links to full text.

• MarciveWeb DOCS
  Index of U.S. government publications since July 1976.

• AFTE Journal Keyword Index http://www.afte.org/ExamResources/journalindex.htm
  A volunteer effort, this is the only index to the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners journal and newsletters.

• Journal of Forensic Sciences Index http://www.astm.org/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/jforensicsci/search.html?E+mystore
  Search by keyword/author or browse tables of contents from 1981 to the present.

• Science & Justice Index http://www.forensic-science-society.org.uk/publications/saj.html
  Tables of contents for the last four years and a searchable index for this Forensic Science Society journal.

Selected Periodicals

• Click on the Periodical Title to see MU library holdings in all formats. This is not an exhaustive list of journals you may find useful, just a starting point. (Peer-reviewed) designates periodicals that are scholarly and use a pre-publication review process. "Refereed" is another term used to indicate these scholarly reviewed periodicals.

• Journal of Forensic Sciences (Peer-reviewed) PER/RA1001.J68
  Official journal of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

• Analytical Chemistry (Peer-reviewed) Chemistry Library (1987--) & Morrow PER/TP1 .I61 (1929-1986)
  Articles on theoretical and applied aspects of analysis, modern instrumentation, and other topics of interest to analytic chemists.

• Crime & Clues: the Art and Science of Criminal Investigation
  Online collection of articles.

• Crime Laboratory Digest J 1.14/18: Government Documents
  Published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation laboratory in cooperation with the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors.

• FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin HV6201 .F2 Drinko Reading Room & Drinko Media
  Published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, this deals with all aspects of law enforcement.

• Forensic Science Communications
  Online quarterly publication of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with online access back to the first volume (1999).

• Genome Research (Peer-reviewed) PER/QP606 .D46P358
  International journal focusing on genome studies in all species. Also available from the publisher.

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Reference Sources

• Encyclopedia of Forensic Science: a compendium of detective fact and fiction. Barbara G. Conklin, Robert Gardner, & Dennis Shortelle. HV8073 .C595 2002 Drinko Ref.
  Covers the major scientific techniques and devices used by forensic scientists, as well as notable criminals and crimes.

• Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice. 2nd ed. HV6017 .E52 2002 Drinko Ref.
  Three volume set written for the layperson rather than the expert. There are more than 250 signed articles with bibliographies.

• Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment HV6017 .E524 2002 Drinko Ref.
  Four volume set covering the entire criminal justice system. The focus is on the current situation in the United States, although other countries, issues, and times are included. The signed articles have bibliographies.

• The Dictionary of Criminal Justice HV7411 .R87 1991 Drinko Ref.
  Short definitions, and summaries of Supreme Court cases affecting criminal justice.

• Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, 2d. edition. http://www.fjc.gov/public/pdf.nsf/lookup/sciman00.pdf/$file/sciman00.pdf
  Handbook for federal judges on how to recognize "the characteristics and reasoning of 'science' as it is relevant in litigation." The first edition, Handbook of Forensic Science, is in the Government Documents collection, call number J 1.14/16:F76/994/POCK.

• ATF Arson Investigative Guide. T 70.8:AR 7/2004 Gov. Documents
  Manual on investigating fires written by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

• Death Investigation: a guide for the scene investigation. (1999). http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/167568.pdf and J 28.24/3:D 34/7 Gov. Documents
  Results of a study that identified, described, and put together a standard set of 29 investigative tasks to be performed at a death scene.

• Electronic Crime Scene Investigation: a guide for first responders. (2001). http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/187736.pdf
  Guide to the recognition, collection, and preservation of electronic evidence (such as computer systems, memory cards, digital cameras) in various crime scenes.

• Forensic Examination of Digital Evidence: a guide for law enforcement. (2004). http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/199408.pdf and J 28.15/2:F76 Gov. Documents
  Second in a series, this guide is for those actually examining digital evidence. Covered are policy and procedure development; evidence assessment, acquisition, and examination; and documentation and reporting.

• Forensic Laboratories: handbook for facility planning, design, construction, and moving. (1998). http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/168106.pdf and J 28.24/3:F 76 Gov. Documents
  Designed as a resource, not a standard, for those building a new facility, redoing an existing facility, and moving a laboratory. The PDF version on the web does not have the appendices; see the print version for the complete text. A plain text version (without figures, charts, forms, or tables) is also available.

• The Future of Forensic DNA Testing: predictions of the Research and Development Working Group. (2000). http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/183697.pdf and J 28.23:F 76/2 Gov. Documents
  Report that examines the history of DNA testing and tries to predict the technological advances that will affect forensic DNA analysis. A general section with non-technical language is followed by detailed technical appendices.

• Handbook of Forensic Services (FBI Laboratory Division and the Investigative Technology Division). (2003). http://www.fbi.gov/hq/lab/handbook/intro.htm#topintro
  Official guidance and procedures for the collection, preservation, packaging, and shipping of evidence to the FBI's Laboratory Division and Investigative Technology Division, as well as who can (and can not) submit evidence.

• Managing Death Investigations. Arthur E.Westveer. (revised 1997). J 1.14/2:D 34/2 Gov. Documents
  Standard handbook for all aspects of homicide and murder investigations.

• User's Guide to NIST Fingerprint Image Software (NFIS). (2001). C 13.58:6813 Gov. Documents microfiche
  Documentation for the public domain software developed for the FBI to support and further the automated manipulation and processing of fingerprint images. The software itself can be downloaded from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

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Internet Resources

The Web provides a tremendous number of resources for research on forensic science. It is essential that you use a good search engine (such as Teoma, HotBot, Alta Vista, Excite, and Google), a directory site (such as the Librarian's Index to the Internet, About.com, Yahoo!, the Scout Report, and INFOMINE), or one of the forensic science gateways. These are some useful sites to get you started: Gateways & Collections

• Forensic Science Resources on the Internet http://www.istl.org/03-spring/internet.html
  An excellent webliography written for librarians serving a scientific or technical audience, and anyone interested in forensic sciences. Entries have extensive descriptions.

• Zeno's Forensic Site http://forensic.to/forensic.html
  A comprehensive and widely recognized site, developed by Zeno Geradts, a forensic scientist at the Netherlands Forensic Institute of the Ministry of Justice.

• Reddy's Forensic Page http://www.forensicpage.com/
  Another excellent and often cited site. Reddy Chamakura is a forensic scientist with the Police Laboratory, New York City Police Department.

• Forensic-Evidence.com http://www.forensic-evidence.com/site/MasterIndex.html
  Bills itself as "an information center in forensic science, law and public policy for lawyers, forensic scientists, educators, and public officials." Lots of articles and an extensive set of links.

• Kruglick's Forensic Resource & Criminal Law Search Site http://www.kruglaw.com/
  Over 1,500 links arranged by forensic specialty, put together by a California attorney.

• Kulesh's Digital/Cyper/Computational Forensic Page http://vip.poly.edu/kulesh/forensics/list.htm
  Produced by a doctoral student in computer science at the Polytechnic University, Brooklyn, New York, this is a plain site with lots of links.

• Forensic Weblinks http://www.gwu.edu/~forensic/listofli.htm
  Extensive set of links arranged by forensic subject from the George Washington University Department of Forensic Science.

• Internet Resource Links for Forensic Law http://faculty.ncwc.edu/toconnor/425/425links.htm
  Links page for a forensic law course at North Carolina Wesleyan College. The professor has a "Mega Links in Criminal Justice" page that is also worth looking at.

• Yahoo! Science>Forensics directory http://dir.yahoo.com/Science/Forensics/
  Extensive set of links to sites related to forensic science and its various specialties. Sites are selected and evaluated by humans, not software.

• Google Forensic Science directory http://directory.google.com/Top/Science/Science_in_Society/Forensic_Science/
  Another extensive set of links, with sites selected by both software (robots, spiders) and humans.

Forensic Anthropology

• OsteoInteractive http://medstat.med.utah.edu/kw/osteo/index2.html
  Great introduction to forensic anthropology, human osteology (bones), paleopathology, and histology.

Forensic Chemistry and Toxicology

• Alan Barbour's Forensic Toxicology Page http://www.abarbour.net
  Guide to forensic toxicology links, experts, and laboratories.

• Anil Aggrawal's Forensic Toxicology Page http://members.tripod.com/~Prof_Anil_Aggrawal/index.html
  Published by a professor of forensic medicine in New Delhi, India.

• Mass Spectrometry Databases http://www.ualberta.ca/~gjones/mslib.htm
  A project of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences' Toxicology Section, there are links to information on mass spectra of drugs and metabolites.

• Scientific Working Group for the Analysis of Seized Drugs (SWGDRUG) http://www.swgdrug.org/
  An international group with the mission of recommending minimum standards for the forensic examination of seized drugs.

Crime Scene Investigation

• Crime Scene Evidence Files http://www.crimescene.com/
  Presents fictional crime cases with weekly updates of evidence. Those who pay can interact directly with the investigators and use an evidence search engine; non-payers view evidence later, but can still post theories and questions to a discussion area.

• Crime Scene Investigation.net http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/index.html
  Sections on crime scene response, evidence collection, photography, articles, and links.

• Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Tutorial http://www.bloodspatter.com/BPATutorial.htm
  Tutorial on how to analyze the shape, location, and distribution pattern of bloodstains at crime scenes. There is also a computer program that will help with this task.

Forensic DNA Analysis

• Frequently asked questions about DNA profiling http://www.interpol.com/Public/Forensic/dna/dnafaq.asp
  FAQ page from Interpol, the international police organization.

• DNA Fingerprinting http://www.dnalc.org/resources/aboutdnafingerprinting.html
  Two animated tutorials give the science and application of DNA testing (requires Shockwave plug-in), plus links to related material.

• How DNA Evidence Works http://www.howstuffworks.com/dna-evidence.htm
  Easily understood introduction to the process and application of forensic DNA analysis.

• MITOMAP: a human mitochondrial genome database http://www.mitomap.org/
  Searchable database of "polymorphisms and mutations," along with several other databases, a bibliography, and several reports.

• Forensic Mathematics http://dna-view.com/
  The web page for a consultant who applies mathematics to DNA identification, this has lots of information and links.

Forensic Entomology

• Forensic Entomology Pages, International http://folk.uio.no/mostarke/forens_ent/forensic_entomology.html
  Very good overview of the field by a Norwegian graduate student, with lots of links.

• Forensic Entomology: Insects in Legal Investigations http://www.forensicentomology.com/index.html
  A site created to give a basic knowledge of what insects of forensic importance look like, how to collect them, and what they mean to an investigation.

Fingerprints

• Latent-prints.com http://www.latent-prints.com/
  Deals with latent fingerprints, latent print examination, and fingerprint identification.

• Scientific Working Group on Friction Ridge Analysis, Study and Technology http://www.swgfast.org/
  International group working to establish guidelines for the training and development of friction ridge examiners, guidelines for quality assurance and quality control, and research on examination techniques.

• Latent Print Examination: Fingerprints, Palmprints and Footprints http://www.fpsociety.org.uk/
  Sections for experts, police, and general information. Extensive links, especially to legal challenges of fingerprint evidence.

Firearms, Ballistics, and Explosives

• FirearmsID.com http://www.firearmsid.com/
  Non-profit site designed as an educational and investigative aid. A good introduction to forensic firearm identification.

• Firearms Tutorial: Internet Pathology Laboratory for Medical Education http://www-medlib.med.utah.edu/WebPath/TUTORIAL/GUNS/GUNINTRO.html
  Produced by the Florida State University College of Medicine, this site aims to give doctors a working knowledge of firearms, ammunition, gunshot injuries, and the techniques used by forensic pathologists.

• Explosives, Bomb Threat and Detection Resources; http://www.atf.gov/press/breakingnews/threat.htm
  Page of links from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Forensic Microscopy and Imaging

• Introduction to Optical Microscopy, Digital Imaging, and Photomicrography http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/index.html
  Outstanding introduction to the optical microscope, physics of light and color, specialized techniques, digital imaging with optical microscopy, and stereomicroscopy. Links to microscope manufacturers.

• Institute for Forensic Imaging http://www.ifi-indy.org/
  A non-profit organization with the mission of improving the effectiveness of the investigation of crimes through training, consulting, research and development activities. Works with the Informatics Research Institute, School of Informatics, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis.

Questioned Documents

• Questioned Document Examination Page http://www.qdewill.com/
  The basics of the specialty from a certified document examiner.

• Document Examination http://www.docexam.com.au/files/article1.pdf
  Article by an Australian document examiner giving an overview, scope and limitations, and the basics of identification procedures. Also available in text format.

• IdentiFont http://www.fonts.com/findfonts/identifontframe.asp?nCo=AFMT&FONTNAME=identifont
  Identify an unknown font by answering a series of questions about it, or search by type name or designer.

Forensic Science on Television

• Autopsy (HBO) http://www.hbo.com/autopsy/

• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS) http://www.cbs.com/primetime/csi/main.shtml

• CSI: Miami (CBS) http://www.cbs.com/primetime/csi_miami/home.shtml

• Forensic Files (CourtTV) http://www.courttv.com/onair/shows/forensicfiles/

• The New Detectives and FBI Files (Discovery Channel) http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/onthecase/onthecase.html

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Professional Organizations

• American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) http://www.aafs.org/
  Nonprofit professional organization that since 1948 has tried to apply science to the process of law. Membership is drawn from all areas of forensic science practice and research.

• American Board of Criminalistics http://criminalistics.com/abc/A.php
  Certifying board for professional qualification in one or more areas of criminalistics. The Board of Directors has representatives from eight regional and national forensic organizations.

• American Board of Forensic Entomology http://www.missouri.edu/%7Eagwww/entomology/index.html
  Certification organization for those "using insect evidence to uncover circumstances of interest to the law".

• American Board of Forensic Toxicology http://www.abft.org/
  Certifies practitioners and specialists of forensic toxicology, and accredits laboratories that perform postmortem forensic toxicology or human performance toxicology.

• Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners http://www.afte.org/
  Professional organization for the advancement and certification of specialists in this area of forensic science.

• Forensic Science Society http://www.forensic-science-society.org.uk/
  One of the oldest forensic societies, based in the United Kingdom. Publishes the peer-reviewed journal Science & Justice.

• Forensic Toxicologist Certification Board http://home.usit.net/~robsears/ftcb/index.htm
  Offers certification in forensic toxicology, forensic alcohol toxicology, and forensic drug toxicology.

• Microscopy Society of America http://www.msa.microscopy.com/index.html
  Aims to increase and improve the science and practice of microscopy, imaging, and compositional analysis.

• Mid-Atlantic Association of Forensic Scientists http://maafs.org
  Regional organization for those in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and other Mid-Atlantic states.

• Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists http://www.mafs.net/index.html
  Regional organization for those in Kentucky, Ohio, and other Mid-West states.

• Society of Forensic Toxicologists http://www.sopft-tox.org/
  Practicing forensic toxicologists and those interested in promoting and developing the field.

• TWGFEX: the Technical Working Group for Fire and Explosions http://www.ncfs.ucf.edu/twgfex/home.html
  Establishes and maintains programs, protocols, and guides for the forensic investigation of fire, arson, and explosion scenes and devices. Sponsored by the National Center for Forensic Science (NCFS)

• See also the list of organizations at the National Criminal Justice Reference Service http://www.ncjrs.org/forensic/additional.html

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Prepared by Timothy A. Balch, Reference Services Librarian.

Suggestions for improvement welcomed.

Last updated 8/10/04

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