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Elsevier

Books in Forensics

Our Forensic Science titles are essential reading for students and professionals, and cover a range of foundational and advanced topics across forensic pathology, forensic chemistry, forensic serology, forensic victimology, forensic toxicology, forensic anthropology, and forensic testing, among others

  • Ethics and Professionalism in Forensic Anthropology

    • 1st Edition
    • Nicholas V. Passalacqua + 1 more
    • English
    Forensic anthropologists are confronted with ethical issues as part of their education, research, teaching, professional development, and casework. Despite the many ethical challenges that may impact forensic anthropologists, discourse and training in ethics are limited. The goal for Ethics and Professionalism in Forensic Anthropology is to outline the current state of ethics within the field and to start a discussion about the ethics, professionalism, and legal concerns associated with the practice of forensic anthropology.

  • Forensic Ecogenomics

    The Application of Microbial Ecology Analyses in Forensic Contexts
    • 1st Edition
    • T. Komang Ralebitso-Senior
    • English
    Forensic Ecogenomics: The Application of Microbial Ecology Analyses in Forensic Contexts provides intelligence on important topics, including environmental sample provenance, how to indicate the body decomposition timeline to support postmortem interval (PMI) and postmortem submersion interval (PMSI) estimates, and how to enhance identification of clandestine and transit grave locations. A diverse group of international experts have come together to present a clear perspective of forensic ecogenomics that encapsulates cutting-edge, topical and relevant cross-disciplinary approaches vital to the field.

  • HR Management in the Forensic Science Laboratory

    A 21st Century Approach to Effective Crime Lab Leadership
    • 1st Edition
    • John M. Collins
    • English
    HR Management in the Forensic Science Laboratory: A 21st Century Approach to Effective Crime Lab Leadership introduces the profession of forensic science to human resource management, and vice versa. The book includes principles of HR management that apply most readily, and most critically, to the practice of forensic science, such as laboratory operations, staffing and assignments, laboratory relations and high impact leadership. A companion website hosts workshop PowerPoint slides, a forensic HR newsletter and other important HR strategies to assist the reader.

  • Digital and Document Examination

    • 1st Edition
    • Max M. Houck
    • English
    The Advanced Forensic Science Series grew out of the recommendations from the 2009 NAS Report: Strengthening Forensic Science: A Path Forward. This volume, Digital and Document Examination, will serve as a graduate level text for those studying and teaching digital forensics and forensic document examination, as well as an excellent reference for forensic scientist’s libraries or use in their casework. Coverage includes digital devices, transportation, types of documents, forensic accounting and professional issues. Edited by a world-renowned leading forensic expert, the Advanced Forensic Science Series is a long overdue solution for the forensic science community.

  • Crime Scene Investigation Laboratory Manual

    • 2nd Edition
    • Marilyn T Miller
    • English
    Crime Scene Investigation Laboratory Manual, Second Edition, is written by a former crime scene investigator and forensic scientist who provides practical, straightforward, and immediately applicable best practices. Readers will learn the latest techniques and procedures, including deconstructing first responder contamination, the preliminary walk-through, utilizing associative evidence, enhancing trace, biological and chemical evidence, and reconstructing scenes through wound dynamics, glass fracture patterns, bloodstain patterns, ballistics, and more. This lab manual provides information and examples for all aspects of crime scene investigation. In addition, included exercises teach the proper techniques for securing, documenting and searing a crime scene, how to visualize or enhance the evidence found, how to package and preserve the evidence, and how to reconstruct what happened at the crime scene. This manual is intended to accompany any crime scene investigation textbook.

  • Forensic Odontology

    Principles and Practice
    • 1st Edition
    • Thomas J. David + 1 more
    • English
    Forensic Odontology: Principles and Practice details the aspects necessary to become an accomplished forensic odontologist, including an illustration of the skills necessary to become an expert witness. The book is ideal for both the experienced and novice forensic odontologist, covering many fields of expertise, including civil and criminal matters. The civil side involves standard of care and personal injury matters, while the criminal side involves not only dental identification, but management of mass fatality incidents, age assessment, child and elder abuse, and bitemark analysis.

  • Forensic Taphonomy and Ecology of North American Scavengers

    • 1st Edition
    • Susan N. Sincerbox + 1 more
    • English
    Forensic Taphonomy and Ecology of North American Scavengers compiles research on vertebrate scavenging behavior from numerous academic fields, including ecology and forensic anthropology. Scavenging behavior can displace remains from their depositional context, confound postmortem interval estimation, destroy osteological markers, and inflict damage that mimics or disguises perimortem trauma. Consequently, the actions of vertebrate scavengers can significantly impact the medicolegal investigation of human remains. It is therefore critical when interpreting a death scene and its associated evidence that scavenging be recognized and the possible effects of scavenging behavior considered. This book is an ideal reference for both students and medicolegal professionals, serving as a field manual for the identification of common scavenging species known to modify human remains in North America. In addition, this book presents a framework to guide investigators in optimizing their approach to scavenged cases, promoting more complete recovery of human remains and the accuracy of forensic reconstructions of peri- and postmortem events.

  • An Atlas of Skeletal Trauma in Medico-Legal Contexts

    • 1st Edition
    • Soren Blau + 2 more
    • English
    Post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) is increasingly used in forensic pathology practice in many jurisdictions. Such imaging has expanded the capacity to evaluate skeletal trauma improving the visualisation, documentation and presentation of forensic findings. Typically when deceased persons are located and exhibit evidence of trauma, forensic pathologist, anthropologists and radiologists base their interpretations of the mechanism of trauma on their experience and understanding of the biomechanics of fractures as well as recognisable patterns of injury. In order to augment this process, An Atlas of Forensic Skeletal Trauma presents a range of de-identified adult and child skeletal trauma cases that occur in medico-legal contexts where the cause of death and mechanism of trauma are recorded. An Atlas of Forensic Skeletal Trauma includes comprehensive photographs and PMCT images as well as descriptive text.

  • New Perspectives in Forensic Human Skeletal Identification

    • 1st Edition
    • Krista E. Latham + 2 more
    • English
    New Perspectives in Forensic Human Skeletal Identification provides a comprehensive and up-to-date perspective on human identification methods in forensic anthropology. Divided into four distinct sections, the chapters will reflect recent advances in human skeletal identification, including statistical and morphometric methods for assessing the biological profile (sex, age, ancestry, stature), biochemical methods of identification (DNA analysis, stable isotope analysis, bomb curve analysis), and use of comparative radiography. The final section of this book highlights advances in human identification techniques that are being applied to international populations and disaster victims. The contributing authors represent established experts in forensic anthropology and closely related fields. New Perspectives in Forensic Human Skeletal Identification will be an essential resource for researchers, practitioners, and advanced students interested in state-of-the-art methods for human identification.

  • False Allegations

    Investigative and Forensic Issues in Fraudulent Reports of Crime
    • 1st Edition
    • Brent E. Turvey + 2 more
    • English
    False Allegations: Investigative and Forensic Issues in Fraudulent Reports of Crime provides investigators and forensic examiners with a reference manual comprised of objective protocols for managing cases. It helps them understand the nature and extent of false allegations to more accurately identify false allegations should they present in casework. It also prepares users on how to confront and explain false allegations, including instances where colleagues and supervisors may be steeped in bias, denial or self-interest. Responding law enforcement agencies have a duty of care to investigate all reported crime, to recognize and uncover false allegations, and prevent them from causing harm to the innocent. Failure to do so can result in miscarriages of justice. When law enforcement fails in their duty of care, they are also exposed to civil liability from those that have been falsely accused.