Skip to content

Chapters

This textbook is organized into 19 chapters covering 323 concepts across 6 thematic modules.

Chapter Overview

  1. Foundations of Forensic Science and Legal Principles — Introduces the history, scientific method, and legal framework of forensic science, including Daubert/Frye standards, constitutional rights, and the criminal justice system.
  2. Crime Scene Investigation and Evidence Collection — Covers the Seven S's methodology, documentation techniques, evidence search patterns, packaging protocols, and chain of custody.
  3. Fingerprint Analysis and Dactyloscopy — Explores friction ridge skin anatomy, pattern families, minutiae analysis, latent print development techniques, and AFIS database matching.
  4. Hair, Fiber, and Trace Evidence Analysis — Examines hair anatomy, medullary index calculations, human versus non-human differentiation, fiber identification, and the class evidence concept.
  5. Glass, Soil, and Physical Trace Evidence — Investigates refractive index and Becke line testing, fracture mechanics using the 3R Rule, and soil composition analysis.
  6. Forensic Serology and Biological Fluid Analysis — Covers blood composition, presumptive and confirmatory testing, ABO/Rh typing, agglutination chemistry, and detection of biological fluids.
  7. Bloodstain Pattern Analysis — Examines blood drop physics, velocity impact classifications, angle-of-impact trigonometry, and area of origin reconstruction in 3D space.
  8. Forensic DNA Profiling — Covers STRs, CODIS loci, PCR amplification, capillary electrophoresis, electropherogram interpretation, and random match probability statistics.
  9. Forensic Toxicology and Chemical Analysis — Investigates pharmacokinetics (ADME), the Controlled Substances Act, color presumptive tests, GC-MS/LC-MS analysis, and BAC retro-extrapolation.
  10. Fire Investigation, Arson, and Explosives — Explores fire tetrahedron chemistry, combustion reactions, arson indicators, headspace SPME analysis, and explosive classification.
  11. Forensic Anthropology and Skeletal Biology — Covers human osteology, sex estimation, age-at-death methods, stature regression equations, and antemortem/perimortem/postmortem trauma differentiation.
  12. Forensic Entomology and Decomposition Analysis — Examines decomposition stages, blowfly lifecycle, Accumulated Degree Hours models, and minimum post-mortem interval calculation.
  13. Firearms, Ballistics, and Toolmark Examination — Investigates internal/external/terminal ballistics, rifling striations, GSR analysis, toolmark comparison, and serial number restoration.
  14. Document Examination and Forgery Detection — Covers handwriting analysis, exemplar collection, forgery types, ink analysis via chromatography, and counterfeit currency detection.
  15. Digital Forensics and Cybercrime Investigation — Examines digital storage, write-blockers, forensic imaging, hash verification, EXIF metadata recovery, network forensics, and steganography.
  16. Facial Recognition Technologies and Biometric Identification — Covers biometric principles, face detection algorithms, deep learning CNNs, law enforcement databases, CCTV analysis, and Daubert admissibility.
  17. Cell Phone Analytics and Mobile Forensics — Investigates SIM cards, IMEI, CDR analysis, tower triangulation, GPS extraction, iOS/Android forensics, and cloud data acquisition.
  18. Social Media Analysis and Open-Source Intelligence — Examines OSINT principles, platform evidence collection, legal process, geolocation inference, social network analysis, and FRE 901 admissibility.
  19. Aviation Crash Forensics and Aircraft Accident Investigation — Covers ICAO Annex 13 and the NTSB go-team system, debris field analysis, wreckage reconstruction, flight recorders, metallurgical failure analysis, in-flight fire and explosion patterns, human factors, and probable-cause determination.

How to Use This Textbook

Work through chapters in order — each chapter builds on concepts introduced in earlier ones. Chapters 1 and 2 establish the legal and procedural foundations required throughout the course. The six thematic modules (Chapters 1–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–10, 11–12, and 13–19) can serve as natural unit boundaries for assessments. Each chapter index lists all concepts covered, so you can locate any specific topic quickly.

Note: Each chapter includes a full list of concepts covered. Complete prerequisites before moving to advanced chapters — dependency relationships are described in each chapter's Prerequisites section.