Knowra Forensic science Forensic science Forensic science applies scientific methods to evidence used in legal investigations and proceedings. It includes laboratory analysis, scene examination, and interpretation of findings for courts.
Chain of custody : The documented history of evidence handling, including each transfer, storage location, and person responsible. A continuous record helps establish that analyzed material is the same material collected during an investigation.
Physical evidence : Tangible material or objects that may help establish facts in an investigation or legal proceeding. Forensic science examines physical evidence to answer questions about sources, activities, and events.
Forensic DNA analysis : The analysis of genetic material to assess whether biological evidence is associated with particular people. DNA profiling can compare biological traces with reference samples or databases.
Forensic science reform : Efforts to improve the reliability, transparency, and oversight of forensic methods used in legal systems. Reform addresses weaknesses exposed by research into error rates, validation, and laboratory practices.
Locard's exchange principle : The principle that contact between people, objects, or places can transfer material between them. It explains why investigators seek trace evidence linking a person, object, and scene.
Scientific method : A systematic approach to inquiry involving observation, hypothesis testing, analysis, and revision. Forensic conclusions depend on testable methods rather than authority or intuition.
Fingerprint examination : The comparison of friction-ridge impressions to assess whether they share a source. Latent prints can associate a person with an object or location, subject to interpretive limits.
Forensic error : A mistaken forensic observation, analysis, or interpretation that can contribute to an incorrect legal conclusion. Errors show why forensic claims require quality controls and independent scrutiny.
Crime scene investigation : The systematic documentation and collection of physical evidence at a location connected to a suspected crime. Scene methods determine which evidence reaches forensic laboratories and in what condition.
Measurement uncertainty : The quantified doubt associated with a measurement, reflecting limits in instruments, methods, or observations. Uncertainty constrains how precisely forensic results can support a legal claim.
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