Forensic Sciences

(Branches, Sub-Branches, Disciplines / Divisions)

Forensic Physics:
In this branch of forensic science we study of buildings, ballistics, bombs, blood
spatters, soil, glass, fiber, etc.

Forensic Chemistry:
Forensic chemists use their expertise to help law enforcement by analyzing trace
evidence found at crime scenes. This evidence can include fingerprints taken from the
scene and compared with the prints of suspects; and urine and blood, which are
analyzed for poisons and drugs. Forensic chemists also calibrate breathalyzer
machines and testify in drunken driving cases about the devices' accuracy.

Forensic Biology:
Forensic biology, or pathology, deals with diseases and how they affect the body.
Forensic pathologists help law enforcement through autopsies, where scientists
determine the cause and manner of someone's death by examining organs, blood and
urine. Based on this information, the police are able to decide if they should pursue a
killer or close the case because someone actually died of natural causes.

Forensic Behavioral Sciences / Forensic Psychology:

Forensic psychologists and psychiatrists can work in criminal cases where issues like
a defendant's fitness to stand trial, testify or decline representation are in dispute.
They are also called to render opinions in civil cases that deal with patients' rights.
These types of cases can revolve around issues--such as involuntary hospitalization,
whether a patient can refuse treatment and disability claims. Forensic Psychologist
deals with psychological and other cases like- Brain Fingerprinting, Polygraphy,
Narco-Analysis, Lie Detection etc.

Forensic Anthropology:
Forensic anthropologists work in cases that involve tragedies such as terrorist attacks,
plane crashes and natural disasters when remains need to be identified. Through their
examinations, forensic anthropologists can determine the gender, race and size of a
victim, which helps police narrow down that person's identity. In some cases, forensic
anthropologists will use skulls to reconstruct the face of a victim, and the rendering is
released to the public to generate leads.

Questioned Document and Handwriting Examination:

Questioned document examination (QDE) is the forensic science discipline pertaining
to documents that are (or may be) in dispute in a court of law. The primary purpose of
questioned/forensic document examination is to answer questions about a disputed
document using a variety of scientific processes and methods. Many examinations
involve a comparison of the questioned document, or components of the document, to
a set of known standards. The most common type of examination involves
handwriting wherein the examiner tries to address concerns about potential
authorship.
Forensic Dentistry / Forensic Odontology:
Deals with the collection, evaluation and proper handling of dental evidence in order
to assist law enforcement officers and in civil & criminal proceedings. The role of
such an expert is to identify bodies and skeletal remains from dental records,
reconstruct faces from skulls as well as connect the crime scene with whatever little
evidence is available from the scene.

Forensic Fingerprint / Dactyloscopy:

Dactyloscopy is the scientific study of fingerprints. Fingerprints is perhaps the most
well known of the forensic sciences. It also involves the identification of fingerprints
and their ability to categorically link suspects to or exclude suspects from a crime
scene. It requires meticulous and painstaking efforts in gathering information about
finger prints from the scene of crime.

Forensic Accounting / Financial Fraud Examination:

Forensic accounting is the specialty practice area of accountancy that describes
engagements that result from actual or anticipated disputes or litigation. "Forensic"
means "suitable for use in a court of law", and it is to that standard and potential
outcome that forensic accountants generally have to work. Forensic accountants, also
referred to as forensic auditors or investigative auditors, often have to give expert
evidence at the eventual trial. All of the larger accounting firms, as well as many
medium-sized and boutique firms, have specialist forensic accounting departments.
Within these groups, there may be further sub-specializations: some forensic
accountants may, for example, just specialize in insurance claims, personal injury
claims, and fraud, construction, or royalty audits.

Forensic Pathology:
Forensic pathology is a branch of pathology concerned with determining the cause of
death by examination of a corpse. The autopsy is performed by the pathologist at the
request of a coroner or medical examiner usually during the investigation of criminal
law cases and civil law cases in some jurisdictions. Forensic pathologists are also
frequently asked to confirm the identity of a corpse.

Medical Medicine / Jurisprudence:

Medical Jurisprudence or Forensic Medicine, the application of medical science to
legal problems. It is typically involved in cases concerning blood relationship, mental
illness, injury, or death resulting from violence. Autopsy (see post-mortem
examination) is often used to determine the cause of death, particularly in cases where
foul play is suspected. Post-mortem examination can determine not only the
immediate agent of death (e.g. gunshot wound, poison), but may also yield important
contextual information, such as how long the person has been dead, which can help
trace the killing. Forensic medicine has also become increasingly important in cases
involving rape. Modern techniques use such specimens as semen, blood, and hair
samples of the criminal found in the victim's bodies, which can be compared to the
defendant's genetic makeup through a technique known as DNA fingerprinting; this
technique may also be used to identify the body of a victim. The establishment of
serious mental illness by a licensed psychologist can be used in demonstrating
incompetency to stand trial, a technique which may be used in the insanity defense
(see insanity), albeit infrequently.
Forensic Toxicology:
Forensic toxicology is the use of toxicology and other disciplines such as analytical
chemistry, pharmacology and clinical chemistry to aid medical or legal investigation
of death, poisoning, and drug use. The primary concern for forensic toxicology is not
the legal outcome of the toxicological investigation or the technology utilised, but
rather the obtaining and interpreting of the results. A toxicological analysis can be
done to various kinds of samples.

DNA Forensics:
DNA profiling (also called DNA testing, DNA typing, or genetic fingerprinting) is a
technique employed by forensic scientists to assist in the identification of individuals
on the basis of their respective DNA profiles. DNA profiles are encrypted sets of
numbers that reflect a person's DNA makeup, which can also be used as the person's
identifier. DNA profiling should not be confused with full genome sequencing. It is
used in, for example, parental testing and rape investigation.

Forensic Entomology / Cytology:

Forensic entomology is the application of the study of insects and to legal issues. The
time of death, for example, can be determined using insect evidence gathered from
and around a corpse. Various crime investigations have been successfully completed
based on this vital piece of information.

Forensic Artists & Sculptors:

Forensic artists can draw a likeness of a person based solely on eyewitness accounts.
Modern techniques of computer animation are increasingly used in the process.
Forensic sculptors can reconstruct faces, usually in modeling clay or on a computer
from skulls or other fragments. The expertise may enable the police to find out who a
person was when no other clues are available. This technique was found extremely
useful in Mumbai blasts investigation where the face of the suspect who was allegedly
killed in the blast was also reconstructed with the help of this technology.

Forensic Podiatry:
Forensic Podiatry deals with the application of specific podiatric knowledge i.e. an
understanding of the abnormalities and diseases of the ankle, foot, and lower body,
and lower limb anatomy, and musculoskeletal function. This is particularly helpful in
the investigation of foot-based evidence with respect to a criminal incident.

Forensic Engineering:
These experts deal with traffic accidents, fire investigations, and a variety of wrongful
injury cases. Engineers are involved in failure analysis, accident reconstruction,
causes and origins of fires or explosions etc.

Forensic Botany:
As is evident from its name, Forensic Botany is the study and examination of plant-
based evidence (leaves, flowers, wood, fruits, seeds, pollen) for criminal and non-
criminal investigations and for answering other legal questions. Though it is still quite
under-utilized in forensic investigations, applications of botany in criminal
investigations have helped investigators in the past to ascertain the manner and time
of death in certain complex cases. Botanic trace evidence recovered from an incident
scene often help in establishing crucial links to the suspect(s).
Forensic Serology:
Forensic serology is the study of blood groups, blood, and other bodily fluids for
identification purposes following a crime. It is the branch of forensic sciences dealing
with identification and characterization of biological, evidentiary samples - such as
blood, semen, saliva, sweat, breast milk and any other bodily fluids,”

Computer Forensics / Cyber Forensics / Digital Evidence:

Computer forensics is an exciting part of the IT field, where computer experts with
specialized skills recover data from erased, formatted, damaged or otherwise obscured
sources. Many times their skills are called on by law enforcement to recover data that
can be used as evidence in a legal case. Sometimes they are just asked to recover data
that was carelessly erased or to recover family pictures from a hard disk drive that
was damaged in a power surge. Cyber Forensic Experts deals with many cyber crime
cases like- Email Examination, Video Examination, IP Tracking etc

Cell Phone / Mobile Phone Forensics:

Mobile Device Forensics and Sim Card Forensics etc are sub-branches of digital
forensics relating to recovery of digital evidence or data from a mobile device under
forensically sound conditions. The phrase mobile device usually refers to mobile
phones however can also relate to any digital device that has both internal memory
and communication ability.

Forensic Linguists / Voice Identification:

Forensic linguists analyze the content of written or oral communication to identify the
culprit and they can determine whether two communications are from the same
person. This is found useful in various cases involving matching notes and
handwritten contents.

Forensic Geology / Geoforensics:

Forensic Geology or Geoforensics deals with the examination of evidence related to
materials found in the Earth such as oil, petroleum, minerals, soil, rocks and the lake.
Forensic geologists can determine such things as where the suspect or victim walked
by examining soil samples taken from their shoes or feet.

Forensic Ballistics:
Ballistics is the study of the flight paths of projectiles. It also involves the
determination of the angle and distance a gun was fired from to hit a specific target to
recreate the crime scene and link suspects with crimes.

Forensic Archeology:
Such techniques along with the use of photography and imaging enable forensic
archeologists to assist the police and investigating officers to identify the site where
the victim’s body and personal items, or robbed goods are buried. Forensic
archeologists are also often leveraged for carrying out excavations or digs at historical
and pre-historical sites. Such scientists are adept at using a range of techniques, one
being carbon dating, to ascertain the age of items retrieved during an excavation.
They often carry out mass excavations to produce evidence for war crimes trials, gas
or bomb explosions, plane crashes and the like.

And Other : Forensic Agriculture, Forensic Mathematics, Forensic Statistics,

Forensic Microbiology, Fire Forensics etc…