Forensic science is a branch of science that is involved in the study of legal evidence. This branch of knowledge has contributed immensely to crime investigation, criminal law, and also civil litigation.
In the words of fiction writer Chuck Palahniuk, forensic science and its central role in criminal investigations may be succinctly explained as, “Everything is a self-portrait. A diary. Your whole drug histories in a strand of your hair. Your fingernails. The forensic details. The lining of your stomach is a document. The calluses on your hand tell all your secrets. Your teeth give you away. Your accent. The wrinkles around your mouth and eyes. Everything you do shows your hand.” This is precisely what Forensic Science is, in a nutshell!
This kind of work requires a lot of patience and attention to detail. The personalities that are best suited for it are those who are calm under pressure, have excellent powers of observation, who are good at problem solving, who can cope with working long hours and also carrying out strict routines.
The study of forensic science is a subject that is not usually very well known to the general public. There are many reasons why one should consider studying this subject, including the diverse and high-level job opportunities that it offers. Forensics is about identifying patterns and solving mysteries. A career in forensic science can also often lead to more ground-breaking work within other fields such as psychology, law enforcement, engineering, and medicine. Forensic scientists also use their skills to solve crime cases. This can involve identifying the perpetrators of crimes through blood spatter analysis or DNA testing. For example, they might be able to match a fingerprint found at the scene of the crime with a suspect. Forensics is not limited to just fingerprints and DNA tests though; forensic investigators often use ballistics tests, ballistic identification and firearms fingerprinting to identify criminals.
If you have a natural curiosity, enjoy solving puzzles, and care about truth and justice, then you may want to consider a career in forensic science. Forensic science is the application of scientific knowledge to criminal investigations. Examples of research areas in forensic science include:
- Fingerprinting
- DNA profiling
- Ballistics
- Tool marks
- Forensic engineering
- Crime scene reconstruction
With its multidisciplinary approach, forensic science is the crucial contributor which aids fuse together all types of evidence in whatsoever type of inquiry. This entails applying the ideas and methodology of several scientific fields to legal issues. And here is an illustration of the many fields of Forensic Science- Forensic Toxicology, Forensic Psychology, Forensic Pathology, Forensic Odontology, Forensic Linguistics, Forensic Geology, Forensic Entomology, Forensic Engineering, Forensic DNA Analysis, Forensic Archaeology, Forensic Anthropology, Digital Forensics, Forensic Ballistics etc.
Therefore, Forensic science offers several fascinating employment prospects. You can specialise on a few topics or get active in them all. Also, because each investigation and crime scene are unique, your tasks will vary from day to day. One day you may be visiting a crime scene and collecting pictures, and the next you could be in the lab looking for linkages between suspects and illegal behaviour, you may be in court a few days later, presenting evidence to the jury! Based on your scientific discoveries, you will also be required to rebuild crime scenes. As a result, you’ll never have a dull day. This is not your typical office job, where you sit in the same position every day! Rather A fascinating job path!
In a world where you are automatically prejudiced towards the organisation for which you work, you are fully unbiased in this position! You must offer entirely unbiased scientific data, relying solely on science to establish the facts. If there is DNA evidence of a suspect at a crime scene, your role is to convey it as reality rather than opinion! And, well, the work itself is fantastic! How great is it that you work in a field that employs science to solve crimes?
