"Chemical Analysis: Modern Instrumentation Methods and Techniques", Francis Rouessac and Annick Rouessac, Wiley (2000) -core text.
Others as referenced in practical schedules and/or
Module handbook.

Suitable computer for accessing to the WWW, and the University Server, and a laboratory equipped with modern analytical equipment.

Summative assessment will be by a portfolio of practical reports (70%) outcomes 2-4 and outcome 1 by performance in the practical sessions (30%) evaluated through observation and questions during practical sessions and through the laboratory notebook
Work conducted prior to the workshop through VLE will be formative, but a good performance should reflect in the performance and reports produced during the workshop
PASS CRITERIA: Effective involvement in practical and crime scene investigation sessions and contribution to associated discussions. Practical and crime scene reports demonstrating a sound understanding of principles, with neat presentation of results. Evidence of background reading in interpreting results and their subsequent appraisal.
MERIT CRITERIA: Significant contribution to practical and crime scene sessions, with positive and knowledgeable contribution to discussion sessions. Well kept notebook. Practical and crime scene reports showing evidence of significant background reading and critical analysis of results and techniques
DISTINCTION CRITERIA: Demonstrate leadership qualities in practical and crime scene sessions, and in discussions. Notebook neatly maintained with observations recorded correctly and commented on as necessary. Practical and crime scene report presented excellently, with strong evidence of extensive background reading and signs of originality in evaluation and appraisal of the significance of results.

The bulk of your time will be taken up by an intensive in-house residential workshop. Many of the practical exercises will involve group work. Prior to the workshop, you will receive laboratory practical schedules through Blackboard as well as carrying out exercises to develop your skills in the handling, manipulation and interpreting results. The laboratory sessions will occupy about 80h, with the remaining 70h required for preparation (40h) and production of reports (30h)

This module will provide hands on experience of a wide range of analytical equipment encountered in forensic science. The main thrust is to provide experiments that allow comparison of techniques and methods. Examples of the type of experiment you might expect are: analysis of drugs to evaluate the potential of different capillary electrophoresis vs. chromatographic techniques, especially GC and HPLC; analysis of fire accelerants to compare and evaluate solvent extraction and headspace analysis for analysis of a range of accelerants before and after the burning of materials to which the accelerant has been applied; analysis of barbiturates to compare and evaluate selectivity and sensitivity etc. of chromatographic methods with FTIR; analysis of environmental samples to allow comparison of a range of spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques, especially in their application to speciation; DNA profiling to illustrate the importance of sample preparation for obtaining DNA information from different evidence types such as hair, saliva, semen and blood; analysis of explosives to evaluate a range of analytical techniques including Raman and FTIR microscopy, SEM and spectrometric.

ENTRY TO POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMME IN FORENSIC SCIENCE

Develop skills in the use and operation of a wide range of analytical techniques, both biological and chemical, to obtain reliable and accurate results and to evaluate influence of changes in operating parameters.