Introduction to Forensic Science

Abstract

This chapter provides a brief overview of the basic principles that allow forensic investigations to be carried out, the forensic issues and questions pre and post laboratory analysis, and the judicial systems within which forensic science operates. There are four main types of physical evidence that may be recovered from a crime scene: chemical; biological; trace; and pattern. Interpretation of evidence is at the heart of forensic science; it is what makes a forensic scientist different from an analytical scientist. The chapter also provides an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book. The book is concerned with the analytical techniques used to provide information about the nature of the sample being investigated, with emphasis on techniques that provide information about the chemical nature of samples, or techniques that involve measuring a chemical property of the sample to provide evidence in forensic science.