Articles Published by NIJ

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.

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.

NIJ-funded researchers are developing a probability model to predict child head injuries in falls.

Experts put a premium on public education, more practitioner awareness, and victim empowerment for responding to technology-facilitated abuse.

The substances tested in cases involving seized drugs are always evolving. By establishing policies on the most critical samples to test and maintaining ongoing communication with stakeholders, laboratories can more efficiently manage a backlog.

In response to a National Academy of Sciences report calling for more research on the variability of burn patterns, Underwriters Laboratories scientists conducted studies on how ventilation affects fire patterns in residential structures.

Analyzing illicit drugs such as methamphetamine is difficult because the drugs break down when heated in gas chromatographs. Investigators determined that a new method can avoid the heat issue and improve results.

Identifying individuals through next generation DNA sequencing may involve degraded or mixed samples. A researcher has developed a technique to make fragmented DNA more readable, and a method to help pull individual profiles from mixed samples.

For law enforcement, overcoming the opioid crisis will mean gaining a deep, science-driven understanding of its dimensions. NIJ gathered a cross section of experts to identify priority research needs and action items.

Missing persons cases are overwhelming — not just for families, but for communities as a whole. When someone goes missing and is never found, families lack closure. The impact of the loss can spread through the whole community.