3D Scanning: A New Tool for Cracking Tough Cases
02/01/2009

What do U.S. federal investigators and anthropologists at the Smithsonian Institute have in common? They are both pioneering the use of 3D scanning technology to solve challenging mysteries.

Crime Scene Safety
02/01/2009

When a call comes in, a crime scene officer must be ready to respond, no matter the situation. Depending on the situation, you'll need to protect your head, eyes, lungs, hands, feet, and occasionally your entire body.

Planning Chemical Management for the Forensic Laboratory
02/01/2009

This column will provide fundamental information on managing chemicals in forensic facilities and offer initial suggestions and guidance for proper chemical handling.

Forensic Facilities: Strategies for Coping with an Uncertain Economy
02/01/2009

With the current economic downturn that will continue for the foreseeable future, how can forensic facilities continue to make necessary changes and find strategies for not only thriving but even growing or improving?

Anti-Digital Forensics, The Next Challenge: Part 2
02/01/2009

This issue, we take a look at the general categories of anti-digital forensics.

International Updates
12/01/2008

DNA Initiatives around the Globe

The Hash Algorithm Dilemma–Hash Value Collisions
12/01/2008

Digital Evidence, like any other type of evidence, requires identification, collection, a chain of custody, examination/analysis, and finally authentication in court during presentation to the trier of fact.

What Anthropology Brings to the Table
12/01/2008

In this article, we explore how anthropology has evolved along with facility design over the years from academia to popular culture and from a single case to mass graves.

Expert Assistant Software Enables Forensic DNA Analysts to Confidently Process More Samples
12/01/2008

With so many improvements across the entire forensic DNA testing workflow introduced over the last five years, forensic scientists and managers are now faced with hard choices and must implement solutions that alleviate bottlenecks most quickly.

Innovations in Scanning Electron Microscopy Preserve Sample Integrity and Validity in Forensic Analysis
12/01/2008

Scanning electron microscopes (SEM) provide forensic investigators with critical imaging and analytical capabilities that are not available from other techniques. In particular, they can resolve features as small as a nanometer, allowing useful magnifications of 100,000 times or more.

Crime Scene Videos
12/01/2008

I’m pleased to announce an exciting new feature available through Forensic Magazine®. Starting this month, you’ll be able to access a selection of crime scene videos directly from Forensic Magazine’s web site.

Job Hazard Analysis: An Important Process in the Lab and in the Field
12/01/2008

One of the cornerstones of a successful safety and health program is the inclusion of a process called job hazard analysis (JHA) or job safety analysis (JSA).

Today’s Facility Design for Tomorrow’s Cyber Crime
12/01/2008

If you are in search for what facility design criteria is specific to cyber science and other general design considerations for a forensic facility that includes a cyber crime lab, please continue.

Anti-Digital Forensics, The Next Challenge: Part 1
12/01/2008

In the last several years, the term Anti-Digital Forensics has entered the vernacular in the Digital Forensics discipline. Conceptually, ADF concerns an approach to manipulate, erase, or obfuscate digital data or to make its examination difficult, time consuming, or virtually impossible.

Editor's Letter
12/01/2008

We are proud to announce a new sister publication for digital forensic investigators, DFI News.

In Memoriam: Pedro Aragonez
10/01/2008

Pedro Aragonez, 42, was murdered in front of his son in Ciudad Chihuahua, state capital of Chihuahua. The assassins ambushed his SUV as he waited for a traffic light and sprayed it with bullets.

A Discussion of Automation for the Forensic DNA Laboratory
10/01/2008

Although laboratory automation holds the promise of increasing sample throughput, in practice this does not alleviate the burden on laboratory staff. Rather it shifts the focus of the analyst’s efforts from sample preparation to sample analysis.

International Impact of Forensic DNA Technology
10/01/2008

The advent of forensic DNA testing has had a radical and widespread impact on legal-judicial systems. The exact nature of this impact varies from nation to nation, depending on the specific needs of the nation, the existing legal-judicial system, and how DNA technology has been applied.

Is Forensic Science Going to the Dogs?
10/01/2008

To some, canine forensics is still a bone of contention. The current lack of strict standards and training protocols is one controversy swirling around canine forensics.

Crime Scene Equipment
10/01/2008

For an officer first starting out in this field, the work can seem overwhelming. One of the most important things you can do is determine the equipment that is essential to your job.

Earth(movement), Wind, and Fire: Emergency Preparedness is the Key!
10/01/2008

Let’s briefly touch on each of the four phases of emergency management. The approach described is scalable from the management of a large county forensic facility to a small independent crime lab or an individual lab.

Implementing LEED: A Case Study of the Scottsdale Forensic Facility
10/01/2008

In order to produce a facility that is LEED certified, specific guidelines within the LEED rating system must be followed. Forensic facilities have a number of unique characteristics that differentiate them from other building types.

Ethical Practices in Digital Forensics: Part 2
10/01/2008

One common misconception of an examiner’s analytical responsibilities is that he or she is to only analyze submitted evidence to the extent of the investigative request. This is far from the truth.

Editor's Letter: Forensic Tools
10/01/2008

DNA is no “magic bullet.” It is only a tool. And a tool is only as good as the person who uses it.

Finally—It's here!
08/01/2008

Finally, an independent and respected research institution has substantively proven it. The investment in DNA technology to solve volume crime makes tremendous sense.