Guidelines for Essay Component (worth 30%)

The essay may be based on articles from The Journal of Forensic Sciences, from well-known Cases/Case Studies, or from lectures or videos presented in class, and will be evaluated for Content, Critical Analysis and Writing.

The essay is not to be presented in point form but instead will be an evaluation of a topic in Forensic science and will reflect the student’s ability to discuss the problem or case based on scientific evidence, the scientific tools used and to summarize and integrate the material into a logical clear argument. Students will be assessed for a clear, lucid writing style.

Students should clearly identify and explain:

• the forensic problem that needs to be solved
• the various methods and solutions that were used to approach the problem
• the relevant scientific concepts
• the broader social and legal context

Essay/ Report Guidelines:

Essays must include the following sections:

1. Statement of Topic: In this introductory section, the student clearly identifies the forensic problem to be solved and includes a rationale for why the problem is of interest and relevance to course. The problem should be in the spectrum of Forensic Science and may include topics in Forensic Chemistry, Forensic Anthropology, Forensic Psychology, Forensic Entomology, Forensic Biology, Forensic Odontology, Forensic Toxicology, Pathology etc.

2. Science and Methods Used: The student presents the analysis of evidence using the scientific tools and science concepts discussed in the course.

3. Evaluation of the methods used: Are/Were the results accurate and adequate? What are/were the limitations?

4. Societal Impacts and Legal Ramifications. Examples may include landmark findings such as the David Milgaard case, the wrongful conviction of Guy Paul Morin, Steven Truscott case, Shaken Baby Syndrome etc.

5. Conclusion: students are expected to synthesize the material and summarize their main argument.

1. Bibliography: This will be one page and should include the references cited. The reference citation should include the author, title, source and date of publication and correct page numbers. Use the same format for all the references cited for consistency. No more than 10 references need to be included. Citations must be used within the body of the paper and their format must be consistent; use direct quotes only when necessary.

The individual essays should be approximately 1,500 words, double-spaced, have a title page on the first page and with appropriate titles and subtitles in the appropriate sections of the report. Essays that contain an excessive number of spelling and grammatical errors or inadequate citations will be accordingly penalized. Extensive plagiarism will result in a mark of 0 and a report to the Academic Integrity Office.

Evaluation will be based on how well all these elements are presented and on how well students marshal the forensic evidence and use the science they have learned in the course.  A concise and clear writing style is especially critical.

Examples of possible case study topics may include:

• Use of Hair Analysis in Solving a Crime/ Animal Hair as Forensic Evidence. The analysis of hair largely deals with its structure and chemical characteristics. Hair is hardy and survives for long periods, even after bodies decompose.
• The importance of Bite Mark evidence in the conviction of Ted Bundy – Forensic Odontology: Pivotal evidence at the trial matched a bite mark found on the left buttock of the murdered student, Lisa Levy, with the outline of Ted Bundy’s front teeth.
• Forensic Entomology in Estimation of time of death.  Plant and insect evidence can reveal the time of death and link a suspect to the crime scene.
• Tracing Explosives.  Students will learn about oxidizing and reducing agents in chemistry and their role involved in explosions. A case example could be the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 in 1988, in which 270 people were killed.
• DNA- The Indispensable Forensic Tool.  Blood and DNA analysis can positively identify a suspect. DNA and dental pattern records can be used to identify an identified corpse.

Some Pointers….

• This essay can roughly be divided into 4 parts and should be typewritten, double spaced, between 6-10 pages-no more than 10 pages!

• The first part will be the Introduction where the problem/case is identified and defined as such.

A Rationale- why you are interested in this problem is crucial. The reasoning should have some basis in that you should indicate why/how the methods you present are superior in terms of an actual advantage. For example, if you are revisiting an old murder case say 20 years ago, you could perhaps identify what scientific tools you would use today to solve that crime that would lend itself to a superior analysis. This part can be about half to one page. There are case studies in your text that you could use as a resource for building up your argument in the essay.

• Part 2 will cover the Science and the Forensic Science tools employed. This will constitute a major body of your essay. For example if you used Chromatography in a toxicological finding associated with your case, you must explain in some length (a page or two will suffice) -the science and principle of the methodology.  Likewise, if DNA evidence is presented, identify key science concepts/methods used and explain as you would to a non-science/lay reader. If you used a radioimmunoassay method to identify a drug be sure to explain what that is in your essay. Examples are good.  Case studies can also be used.  Again, if discussing finger prints, then developing a latent fingerprint on a surface by applying a fingerprint powder with a fiber glass  brush  or using  an UV imaging system to search for latent finger prints would be techniques that can be identified. Document examination, Bullet comparisons, testing for tool marks and impressions, gunpowder deposits and other types of evidence can be presented and discussed in the essay. You may use the text book as a resource for ideas, but do not copy verbatim the content; (there are references at the end of each chapter that will be helpful). If quoting from sources, place in “  …” and cite the source (including the page and line numbers). A few pictures can be used for illustrative purposes, but do not clutter essay with images!
• Part 3 will cover Societal Impact and  Legal

This part can be addressed along with the discussion in part 2 or separately. Which ethnic group or age group a certain type of crime appears to have recurred, whether it is a drug case, homicide, suicide etc. can also be identified here. You can use flow charts, box diagrams, and use any relevant findings from current literature. The choice of topic is also important. An abstract (no more than 10 lines) about the topic should be submitted along with the essay.

• If an older topic is covered, try to include at least one new aspect related to the problem/issue you are discussing.

• Part 4 will be the This will be one page and should include the references    cited. Whatever format (APA/MLA) chosen, make sure you use the same format for all the references cited. No more than 10 references need to be included. Make sure that you use citations in your report appropriately from the references cited in the bibliography.