Consult our Forensic Science library guide for detailed research guide in the field of forensic science.
Forensic Science. (2016). In S. Constantakis (Ed.), World of Forensic Science (2nd ed., Vol. 1, pp. 312-315). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale.
Forensic Science. (2014). In K. L. Lerner & B. W. Lerner (Eds.), The Gale encyclopedia of science (5th ed., Vol. 3, pp. 1819-1826). Gale.
Khey, D. & Tebbett, I. (2009). Forensic science. In J. M. Miller (Ed.), 21st Century criminology: A reference handbook (pp. 687-693). SAGE Publications.
Kobilinsky, L. (2005). Forensic science. In L. E. Sullivan, M. R. Haberfeld, M. S. Rosen, & D. M. Schulz (Eds.), Encyclopedia of law enforcement (Vol. 1, pp. 192-197). SAGE Reference.
McQuade, S. C., III. (2015). Forensic science. In J. B. Holbrook (Ed.), Ethics, science, technology, and engineering: A global resource (2nd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 277-279). Macmillan Reference USA.
Odendahl-James, J. (2012). Forensic science. In W. R. Miller (Ed.), The social history of crime and punishment in America: An encyclopedia (pp. 638-642). SAGE Publications.
Rossy, Q., & Vuille, J. (2108). Forensic science. Oxford Bibliographies in Criminology. Oxford University Press.
Siegel, J. (2002). Forensic science. In D. Levinson (Ed.), Encyclopedia of crime and punishment (Vol. 1, pp. 729-734). SAGE Publications.
In this section, you will find links to our research guides related to criminal justice. These research guides have internet links which have been selected by librarians and are considered appropriate for the study of certain topics within criminal justice and ancillary disciplines. When searching the web and finding resources that have not been selected by information professionals, you want to make sure that the information you've found is valid and from a reliable source.
Use our Library guides to help you find reliable sources on the web:
Evaluating Information Sources on the Web
National Institutes of Health, science education - genes.
DNA Learning Center. Educational materials from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Deciphering life's enigmatic code (about the Noble Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1962).
ENCODE. Building a list of functional elements in the human genome, including elements that act at the protein and RNA levels, and regulatory elements that control cells and circumstances in which a gene is active. The Nature magazine ENCODE site allows access to published articles linked by themes. (these are the articles that repudiate the idea of "junk" DNA.)
Federal DNA Database Unit (FDDU) of the FBI. "serves the greater forensic community by aiding investigations through hit confirmations against individuals whose profiles are in the National DNA Index System (NDIS). Agencies submit blood or buccal samples to the unit from individuals who are required by law to do so. These include individuals convicted of, arrested for, or facing charges of certain qualifying federal crimes or convicted of qualifying District of Columbia offenses, as well as non-U.S. citizens who are detained under the authority of the United States. FDDU then produces a DNA profile for each of these individuals and uploads it to the NDIS, which is part of the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS)."
GenBank. GenBank ® is the NIH genetic sequence database, an annotated collection of all publicly available DNA sequences.
Genetics and Public Policy Center. At Johns Hopkins University. Aims to help policymakers, the press, and the public understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities of genetic medicine and its potential to transform global public health.
Human Genome (Wellcome Trust site, in the U.K.). "A free resource allowing you to explore the human genome, your health and your future".
Human Genome Project. Completed in 2003, the Human Genome Project (HGP) was a 13-year project to identify all the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA, determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA, store this information in databases, improve tools for data analysis,, transfer related technologies to the private sector, and address the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) that may arise from the project.
Innocence Project. The project is a national litigation and public policy organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice.
International Barcode for Life project - a global collaboration of biodiversity scientists creating a DNA barcode reference library for all multi-cellular life.
National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). A part of the National library of Medicine, advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information.
National Human Genome Research Institute. (NIH). U.S. Federal agency for genomics research, focusing on human health and disease.
Professional:
Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners
American Academy of Forensic Sciences The AAFS is the largest professional organization for forensic scientists in the U.S.
American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Offers guidelines for forensic laboratory management practices, a code of ethics, and information on their voluntary accreditation program for crime laboratories. An employment directory searchable by state, and recent issues of ASCLD NEWS, the society's newsletter, are also available.
California Association of Criminalists
Canadian Society of Forensic Science Society's site includes a history of the CSFS & the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Laboratory System, STR DNA data in Excel spreadsheets, table of contents for the Society's journal (1995 to present) as well as book reviews (1999 - 2002).
Chartered Society of Forensic Scientists (UK) British forensic science professional organization.
Forensic Technology Center of Excellence offers free online training for forensic professionals. From the Research Triangle Institute, funded in part by grants from the NIJ.
IAI – International Association for Identification https://www.theiai.org/
International Association of Forensic Toxicologists.
Internet Pathology Laboratory for Medical Education: Forensic pathology Developed for medical students, shows images, etc. Warning: images are graphic. Includes mini-tutorials on Firearms and Drug Abuse Pathology.
ISFG – International Society for Forensic Genetics http://www.isfg.org/
MAAFS – Mid-Atlantic Association of Forensic Scientists http://www.maafs.org/
MAFS – Mid-Western Association of Forensic Scientists http://www.mafs.net/
National Pesticide Information Center A collaborative project of Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Including a link to the forensic science training program.
New York City Poison Control Center.
NEAFS – Northeastern Association of Forensic Scientists http://www.neafs.org/
NIJ – National Institute of Justice http://www.nij.gov/Pages/welcome.aspx
NIST Forensics – National Institute of Standards and Technology http://www.nist.gov/forensics/
SAFS – Southern Association of Forensic Scientists http://www.southernforensic.org/
SWAFS – South-Western Association of Forensic Scientists
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory Dedicated to investigating crimes against wildlife; poaching, smuggling, etc.
WHO: International Programme on Chemical Safety. Through the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), WHO works to establish the scientific basis for the sound management of chemicals, and to strengthen national capabilities and capacities for chemical safety.
Popular:
Reddit forum for discussions on forensic science topics.
Visible Proofs: Forensic Views of the Body The history of Forensic Medicine, an exhibit at the National Library of Medicine.
Crime Scene Investigation Network Popular website, includes practical articles written by practitioners. Lots of advertising.
Questioned Document Examination Page of Emily Will Theories, applications, and famous cases in questioned document examination from , a certified document examiner.
Zeno's Forensic Site A classic list of resources, unfortunately no longer kept up to date.