Salem Press

Forensic Science
Publisher's Note

Forensic Science, an entirely new Salem Press reference work, addresses growing academic and public interest in the application of the hard sciences to criminal investigations. The extent of this interest can be measured by the proliferation of academic courses on forensics and criminal justice in schools and colleges and by the virtual explosion of popular television programs, both dramatic and documentary, on crime scene investigations. This three-volume set is designed to address the kinds of topics that figure prominently in the media. Nevertheless, its basic approach to forensic science is factual, and great stress is laid on offering up-to-date material in a rapidly changing field.

Forensic science is essentially the application of the various natural sciences to analyzing and interpreting physical evidence. Practical uses of the forensic sciences are diverse, but the best known applications are in the field of criminal investigations, which is why forensic science is also known as criminalistics. Since the turn of the twenty-first century--and especially since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001--there has been an explosion of both public and academic interest in the use of scientific techniques to investigate criminal acts. American television audiences have developed a seemingly insatiable appetite for shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Cold Case that go into the minutiae of forensic techniques. Such shows tend to emphasize crimes of violence, particularly murder, but real-world applications of forensic science are much broader. Forensic techniques do indeed play a major role in homicide investigations, but many of the same techniques are also applied to investigations in many other types of crimes and events, ranging from simple accidents and arson to war crimes and writing instrument analysis. All these subjects are studied in academic courses on forensic science and criminal justice, and all are covered in these volumes.

Scope
The topic list of Salem's Forensic Science has been carefully constructed to cover the full range of these sciences. Their incredible variety can be seen in the titles of some of the set's essays on subfields of forensic science: forensic accounting, forensic anthropology, forensic archaeology, forensic botany, forensic entomology, forensic geology, forensic mental health, forensic nursing, forensic odontology, forensic palynology, forensic pathology, forensic photography, forensic psychiatry, forensic psychology, forensic sculpture, and forensic toxicology. The breadth of the set can also be read in the titles of topics on specialized analyses, such as air plume and chemical analysis, alternate light source analysis, and architecture and structural analysis. The list of topics on specialized analyses goes on to encompass bite marks, blood spatters, bullet lead, bullet tracks, burn patterns, DNA, copiers and printers, fingerprints, firearms, flames, hair, handwriting, oblique lighting, poisons and antidotes, polygraphs, questioned documents, skeletons, typewriters, ultraviolet light, and Y chromosomes.

In 500 alphabetically arranged essays--which range in length from 500 to 3,000 words--Forensic Science approaches its subject from multiple directions. One primary approach is from the point of view of forensic investigators. In addition to its core essays on subspecialties and allied fields, including those listed above, the set has essays on specific types of investigations, such as arson, child abduction and kidnapping, homicide, and computer crime; both general and specific investigative techniques, such as autopsies, ballistics, chromatography, crime scene photography, fingerprint analysis, and polygraph analysis; specialized equipment, such as bomb and nuclear detection devices; and types of evidence, such as fire debris, fibers and filaments, glass, and blood residue and stains. Other essays cover both general and specific aspects of chemical and biological agents, such as biotoxins, carbon monoxide, illicit drugs, and a variety of poisons. Additional essays examine specific types of injuries, diseases, and other medical conditions, such as gunshot and knife wounds, electrical injuries, bubonic plague, hemorrhagic fevers and diseases, and smallpox. Attention is also given to the many professional organizations in forensic science fields, such as the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the American Board of Forensic Toxicology, and the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors.

A second broad approach taken by Forensic Science is its coverage of the role of forensic science in the American legal system. The set includes brief articles on some of the most important federal laws applying to controlled substances, such as the Harrison Narcotic Act of 1914, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, and the Anabolic Steroid Act of 1990, as well as such international agreements as the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1997. Articles on selected Supreme Court decisions, including Miranda v. Arizona, and a variety of important legal principles, such as habeas corpus and mens rea also help to illuminate the legal dimensions of the forensic sciences. Law-enforcement bodies and government investigative units covered in the set include the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of investigation, and the U.S. Secret Service, as well as the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab, and the National Transportation Safety Board.

A third broad approach taken by Forensic Science--and one that should have a wide appeal to many readers--is its extensive coverage of specific historical subjects. These range from overviews of ancient criminal cases and mysteries and ancient science in law and courtrooms to examinations of such high-profile modern cases as the O. J. Simpson murder trial, the Unabomber case, and famous Hollywood forensic cases. The set also includes essays on such subjects as the Lindbergh baby kidnapping case, the exhumations of Presidents Zachary Taylor and Abraham Lincoln, and mysteries surrounding the deaths of Napoleon Bonaparte and Ludwig von Beethoven. All these historical topics present fascinating case studies in the application of forensic science.

Finally, Forensic Science makes a special effort to address depictions of forensics in the media. Long overview essays examine misconceptions fostered by the media and the treatment of forensic science in films, television, literature, and journalism. Briefer essays cover such iconic individual television programs as CSI, Cold Case, and Forensic Files. A special appendix offers brief descriptions of many other television programs.

Organization and Format
As with Salem's other encyclopedic reference works, articles in Forensic Science contain helpful top matter that defines the topics and summarizes their relevance to forensic science and Further Reading notes. The alphabetical arrangement--which includes head-note cross-references of alternative terms (e.g., "Lie detectors. See Polygraph analysis")--makes topics easy to find. Additional finding aids including category and subject indexes and cross-references to related topics at the ends of essays.

The appendixes include an annotated bibliography of general works, a biographical directory of key figures in the history of the field, a glossary, a guide to online resources, a directory of television shows in which forensic sciences figure prominently, and a time line of major events.