Scientific Method in Forensic Science

Third, the system leads to the development of a theory that is used to predict the existence of other phenomena or to predict quantitatively the result of new observations. Finally, Barnes-Svarney (1995) suggests that more very much than not, scientists use observational tests in octuple settings or with multiple experimenters to test predictions derived from the development of a theory.

In forensic science, experimental tests are increasingly used to test theories regarding any issue of phenomena but it must be recognized that relatively fewer local or community lawfulness enforcement agencies possess the signifier of crime scene investigation resources that one finds on tv set programs like CSI (Brandl, 2008a). The scientific method is nevertheless integral to the ship lowlifeal in which law enforcement officers or distressingists/forensic scientists go slightly observing a phenomenon, gathering data, formulating a hypothesis, and examination the viability of that hypothesis (Parkinson, 2008).

As noted by Calvi and Coleman (2004), scientific evidence has bring forth increasingly significant in shaping the outcome of criminal trials. Technological advances rescue been made in every social endeavor and patrol work is no exception. For many years, the courts have given credence to certain kinds of scientific evidence such(prenominal) as fingerprints, firearms assignment through ballistic tests, chemical tests for alcohol or drug use, handwri

give care other forensic scientists, profilers observe real world phenomena as well as the more abstract variable of human race behavior patterns (Abika, 2008). This is a surgery of analyzing, inducing, deducing, and compiling available reading to extract and deduce patterns that are then compared to the patterns and behaviors of others in alike(p) circumstances who have been studied in the past.

Profiling involves a continuous interaction and overlapping of induction and deduction, of creating theoretical hypotheses, testing these hypotheses through pattern analysis and empirical investigation, and ideally arriving at some conclusion regarding a likely perpetrator (Abika, 2008).

The process of collecting forensic evidence used by law enforcement was described by Brandl (2008b). According to this analyst, the major problem for police in conducting a criminal investigation is that not simply is there potentially massive amounts of information available, but the relevancy of the information is oft unknown, the information is often incomplete, and the information is often inaccurate. Consequently, the scientific method becomes a means by which investigators can sort through all possible evidence to sterilise what is and is not valid and what does or does not support the identification of a suspect as a likely perpetrator (Brandl, 2008b).

Brandl, S.G. (2008b). Police: Criminal investigations - the structure of criminal investigations. Retrieved August 17, 2008, from hypertext transfer protocol://law.jrank.org/pages/1654/police-Criminal-Investigations-Criminal-structure

Forensic science. (2008). Psychological profiling. Retrieved August 17, 2008, from http://library.thinkquest.org/040ct/00206/nts_psychological_profiling.htm

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