Following are articles published by the National Institute of Justice
How Good Are the Data? Novel Metric Assesses Probability That an Unknown Drug Sample Matches a Known Sample
NIJ-funded researchers developed a novel metric to assess probability that an unknown sample of a drug matches a library sample, with profound implications for standardization of mass spectrometry results.
Forensic Laboratory Needs Technology Working Group — A Channel to Improve Forensics
Study Reports Error Rates for Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
How Things Burn: Developing Realistic Models of How Materials Combust and Degrade in a Fire
Researchers have created a more accurate methodology for predicting how things burn
Crime Scene Documentation: Weighing the Merits of Three-Dimensional Laser Scanning
The reliability, interpretability, and cost-benefit of three-dimensional laser-scanned images for crime scene documentation is assessed.
The Effects of Temperature on Blowfly Colonization of Decomposing Human Bodies
Development of blowflies on a body is a standard forensic measure of time since death, but temperature variations can alter that development and mislead investigators.
Improving the Collection of Digital Evidence
Two NIJ-funded projects introduce new methods and tools for collecting and processing digital evidence in cases involving child sexual abuse materials and large-scale computer networks.
Scientists Seek Connection Between Toxin-causing Bacterium and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Researchers believe a bacterium that causes food poisoning and other diseases may underlie some SIDS cases.
The Search for a Microbial Death Clock
Criminal investigators use physiological changes and insect development to determine how long a body has been dead, but scientists are using the trillions of microbes involved in human decomposition to find more accurate postmortem intervals.
Algorithm Quantifies What Experts See When They Examine Skeletons
Researchers created an open-access computer program for estimating the age of skeletal remains that outperforms current methods. The algorithm is based on 20 age-related skeletal changes identified by experienced forensic anthropologists.
The Forensic Microbiome: The Invisible Traces We Leave Behind
“Wherever he steps, whatever he touches, whatever he leaves, even unconsciously, will serve as a silent witness against him.” Edmond Locard (1877-1966), forensic science pioneer
Using Forensic Intelligence Analysts to Drive Gun Crime Investigations
New Method for Measuring Human Decomposition Could Significantly Impact Medicolegal Death Investigations
Improving postmortem interval estimation with standardized and simplified protocols could significantly impact medicolegal death investigations by providing more accurate and reliable data for determining time since death.
Field Sobriety Tests and THC Levels Unreliable Indicators of Marijuana Intoxication
Researchers investigated how marijuana affects skills required for safe driving and found that biofluid levels of THC did not correlate with field sobriety test performance or marijuana intoxication, regardless of how the cannabis was ingested.
Fast and Portable Drug Testing: Dual-Method Prototype Shows Promise for Court-Admissible Drug Testing
Researchers integrate two independent, validated drug-testing techniques – mass spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy – onto a single platform prototype for fast and accurate analysis of seized substances.
Child Abuse or Accident? Bringing Science to Pediatric Emergency Departments and Forensic Investigations
NIJ-funded researchers are developing a probability model to predict child head injuries in falls.