YOU MUST SATISFY THESE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Progress to level 2 of a forensic award

Additional Assessment Information:
Students will be required to complete 2 pieces of summative assessment.

A portfolio of practical reports worth 50% of the available marks will be used to assess outcomes 1 and 2. All outcomes except 2 will be assessed via a 3 hour examination, which will contain a compulsory question on Bayesian statistics (outcome 5).



Students will be provided with formative assessment and feedback via

Comments made on their work during practical sessions

AND REFER TO THESE TEXTS, TITLE, AUTHOR, PAGES:

A list of recommended reading is provided in the module handbook. A copy of the more highly recommended textbooks will be lodged either in the School LRC Suite or the Criminalistics Laboratory

This module builds on the level-one Introduction to Forensic Science module. It reinforces some of the fundamental principles, whilst introducing you to a number of key areas of forensic science which are not covered elsewhere in the course. The characterisation of hairs and other fibres as items of trace evidence will be explored as will the evidential value of objects made of textile fabric. An introduction to the interpretation of blood spatter patterns is given. The analysis and comparison of glass and paint by microscopic and other means will be discussed.
The comparison of tool marks (including those made by firearms on cartridge cases and projectiles) and their evidential value will be introduced. The individuality of fingerprints will be discussed, along with methods of fingerprint classification. The basic principles of visualisation and enhancement of latent fingerprints, and fingerprint analysis and identification will be outlined. The impressions made by footwear, bare feet will be described and their usefulness discussed An overview will be given of the analysis of questioned documents, including examination of paper, writing implements and inks, banknotes, credit cards, cheques and wills, typewritten, printed and photocopied documents, handwriting and indented writing, fingerprint and DNA traces. The handling of questioned documents and the techniques for destructive and non-destructive testing will be discussed. This module also examines the increasingly important role of forensic science in the investigation of drug abuse. This will include a brief overview of current UK legislation relating to classified drugs, alcohol and performance-enhancing drugs. The major classes of classified drugs; cannabis, heroin and related opiates, cocaine, LSD and other hallucinogens, barbiturates and benzodiazepines, amphetamines and related "designer drugs" such as ecstasy, will be briefly discussed in terms of their origin, chemical composition, usage, physiological and psychological effects.An overview of the common methods employed in the illegal synthesis, extraction, processing, purification and adulteration of drug substances will be given as will an explanation of how these processes impart a unique "chemical fingerprint" on each batch of the drug which can help the forensic drug analyst to deduce its origin using drug profiling techniques. The general scheme for identification and quantification of drugs, by physical inspection, and the use of spot tests, thin layer chromatography and instrumental analytical techniques will be outlined. The profiling of drug samples, using powerful instrumental analytical techniques, to trace supply chains and origins will also be briefly discussed. Alcohol will be discussed in terms of its absorption and elimination, distribution in the body, and its physiological and psychological effects. Methods of alcohol determination in the breath, urine and blood, for both in-the-field screening and laboratory confirmation will be discussed. A brief introduction will be given to the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport, in terms of the different classes of banned substances, their administration, physiological effects and the steps taken to mask their presence. The requirements of screening for such drugs will be discussed, with emphasis on the need for ultra-high sensitivity of detection, requiring state-of-the-art hyphenated instrumental analytical techniques such as GC-MS and rigorous quality control measures to preserve the integrity of samples and avoid contamination. The students will also be introduced to the Bayesian approach to the evaluation of evidence. This will require students to understand how to interconvert between probability and odds, and how to construct meaningful likelihood ratios and use these to convert prior odds into posterior odds. Time will also be spent on the common errors of thinking known as the prosecutor?s fallacy and the defence attorney?s fallacy.

THESE LEARNING STRATEGIES WILL OCCUPY YOUR TIME:

48 hours made up of tutor led lecture/tutorial/problem solving classes and some sessions of distance learning will be used to deliver the core material. Here you will not only be introduced to the theory, but by means of suitable case studies, you will gain an understanding of how criminalistic techniques can be applied to crime solving. 30 hours of practical work (there will be ten, three hour sessions in the first teaching block) will introduce you to the analysis of clothing for fibres (including hairs) based on their microscopic characteristics, the practical investigation of documents, fingerprinting and footprinting techniques, ink analysis and the characterisation of glass.
222 hours of independent study will be used to research background information related to the delivery of the core material, to work on assignments and engage in informal teamwork.

YOU WILL NEED ACCESS TO THESE RESOURCES:

Module handbook, standard lecture room facilities, appropriate laboratory facilities, access to library and to computers with www access
Blackboard VLE