The term “forensic,” in a general sense, can refer to the application of scientific knowledge to legal issues. Forensic science then covers the group of scientific disciplines that are concerned with the application of their particular area of expertise to law-enforcement, criminal, civil, legal, and judicial matters. Four important areas underpin every aspect of forensic science.
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Evidence– All forms of evidence must be carefully and properly collected, documented, and evaluated. Part of the reason for these requirements is that not all evidence can be preserved indefinitely. A good example of this is a human body that is examined at autopsy. Because the autopsy dissection disrupts the normal anatomy of the body and human tissues break down, proper documentation utilizing photographs, diagrams, and written descriptions are essential to ensure that the evidence (i.e. the findings from the body) can be reevaluated at a later date if required. While there are many other types of...
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Prahlow, J.A., Byard, R.W. (2012). Introduction to Forensic Sciences. In: Prahlow, J.A., Byard, R.W. (eds) Atlas of Forensic Pathology. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-058-4_2
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