Forensic Science Timeline & Landmark Cases

The following resources will help you explore important events, breakthroughs and developments in the development of forensic science.  Use the two-column worksheet to help keep track of your information

For ideas to assist you in your research, click on Forensics Timeline Help & Landmark Cases

After researching your topic, use the Forensics PowerPoint Template to input your information.

Media Lessons on Paraphrasing Information & Evaluating Online Sources

 Print Sources

Book Title & Call Number Gen. Computer &
High-Tech		 Daubert
Decision		 DNA Fingerprinting Frye Standard Insanity Plea Lie Detection Medical
Examiner		 Polygraph Profiling Serology

Skeletal Anthropology

 Specific
Cases		 Supreme Court Dec. Time of
Death		 Toxicology Trace Evidence
Bodies of Evidence (363.25 INN)                                    
Crime and Detection: Forensic Science (363.25 INN)                                    
Threads of Evidence (363.2 SIL)                                    
Hidden Evidence (363.25 OWE)                                    
Encyclopedia of Forensic Science, Conklin (363.25 CON)                                    
Encyclopedia of Forensic Science, Bell (363.25 BEL)                                    
World of Forensic Science                                    
Crime Scene (363.25 PLA)                                    
DNA Fingerprinting (614 FRI)                                    
DNA Evidence (345.73 MAR)                                    
Solving Crimes (920 FRI)                                    
Beyond the Crime Lab (363.25 ZON)                                    
Fingerprints (363.25 BEA)                                    
Drug Tests & Polygraphs (363.2 JUS)                                    
Bone Detective (B FRA)                                    
Silent Witness (363.25 FER)                                    
The Bone Detectives
(363.2 KAL)		                                    
More Chemistry and Crime (363.25 MOR)                                    
Crime Scene: Methods of Forensic Detection (363.25 NIC)                                    
A Fly for the Prosecution
(614 GOF)		                                    
Confessions of a Medical Examiner (614 BAD)                                    
The Unknown Darkness
(363.25 McC)		                                    
Tales from the Morgue
(614 WEC)		                                    
Unnatural Death (614 BAD)                                    
Corpse (614 SAC)                                    
Ency. of High-Tech Crime                                    
Legal Alchemy (340 FAI)                                    

 

 Online Databases

General Reference Center Gold - Search multiple formats: journals, magazines, encyclopedias, and more. Hint: select Advanced Search, enter forensic science and breakthroughs.
Student Resource Center Gold - Offers more than 1,100 full-text periodicals and newspapers, primary sources, creative works, and multimedia, including hours of video and audio clips and podcasts. Hint: select Advanced Search, enter forensic science and breakthroughs.


 Internet Sites

Forensic Science
General Information		 Court TV - Crime Library - Forensic Science: http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/forensics/index.html

Forensic Evidence: http://www.forensic-evidence.com/site/MasterIndex.html

Google Directory - Forensic Science: http://directory.google.com/Top/Science/Science_in_Society/
 Forensic_Science/?tc=1/

Introduction to Forensic Science (online textbook): www.avsnonline.net/library/download.php?id=579

Reddy's Forensic Page: http://www.forensicpage.com/

A Summarized History of Forensic Science: http://www.casebook.org/dissertations/ripperoo-forensic.html

WWW Virtual Library - Forensic Toxicology: http://home.lightspeed.net/~abarbour/vlibft.html

Zeno's Forensic Site: http://forensic.to/forensic.html
 
Timelines Aoubt.com - History of Police Department Technology and Forensic Science: http://inventors.about.com/od/fstartinventions/a/forensic.htm

Court TV - Forensic Files - Timeline: http://www.trutv.com/shows/forensic_files/timeline.html

Crimeline - History of Forensic Science: http://www.crimezzz.net/forensic_history/index.htm

Forensic Science Timeline: www.forensicdna.com/Timeline020702.pdf#search=%22%22forensic%20science%22%
2C%20timeline%22

Forensic Science Time Lines: http://www.quincy.ca/timelines.html
 
Landmark Cases NCJRS - Benchmark Cases: www.ncjrs.gov/spotlight/forensic/legislation.html#BenchmarkCases

The Daubert Test of Reliability: http://www.skepticreport.com/skepticism/dauberttest.htm

Scientific Evidence - Frye v. United States: http://law.jrank.org/pages/2006/Scientific-Evidence-
Frye-v-United-States.html

The Legacy of Sacco and Vanzetti (see also Trials): http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/not_guilty/sacco/1.html
 
Breakthroughs
(legal and scientific)		 Crime Library - Fingerprints and Other Impressions: www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/forensics/fingerprints/2.html

DNA in the Courtroom (online book):
www.healthanddna.com/dna-learning/book-1-science-law.html

DNA Testing - The Next Big Crime-Busting Breakthrough: www.city-journal.org/html/10_1_dna_testing.html

Frontline - Insanity on Trial: From Daniel M'Naughten to John Hinckley Jr.: www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/crime/trial/history.html#afterhinckley
 
Significant Court Cases CNN - O.J. Simpson Trial: http://www.cnn.com/US/OJ/

CNN - Oklahoma City Bombing Trials: http://edition.cnn.com/US/9703/okc.trial/transcripts/

Crime Library - The BTK Story (see also Trial): http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/unsolved/btk/15.html

Crime Library - Exposure: the JonBenet Ramsey Story: www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/famous/ramsey/index_1.html

Landmark Court Cases

The Wood Chipper Murder Case (see also Trials): www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/family/woodchipper_murder/
 
Testing Methods & Techniques

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Tutorial: http://www.bloodspatter.com/BPATutorial.htm

Criminal [Psychological] Profiling: the Reality Behind the Myth: http://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug04/criminal.html

Cyanoacrylate Superglue Fuming Tips (see also: Timeline): http://onin.com/fp/cyanoho.html

DNA Initiative - About Forensic DNA: http://www.dna.gov/basics/

Encyclopedia of Psychology (psychological / criminal profiling): http://www.psychology.org/links/Environment_Behavior_Relationships/Forensic/

Forensic Entomology:  http://www.forensic-entomology.com/

Forensics Voiceprints: www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=5154&pst=855449

An Introduction to Forensic Firearm Identification: www.firearmsid.com/A_FirearmsID.htm

The History of Firearm and Tool Mark Identification: http://firearmsid.com/A_historyoffirearmsID.htm

DNA Forensics: http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/forensics.shtml

Fingerprint Patterns [Henry Classification System]: http://ridgesandfurrows.homestead.com/fingerprint_patterns.html

Forensic Odontology and the Postmortem Identification Process: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4100/is_200509/ai_n15638680/pg_1

History of DNA Analysis: http://www.dna.gov/basics/analysishistory/

The History of Fingerprinting: http://onin.com/fp/fphistory.html

Incendiary Fire Basics: http://www.interfire.org/res_file/mmo2.asp

Introduction to Forensic Geoscience - Lecture 4 - Soils: http://www.esci.keele.ac.uk/geophysics/People/Jamie/ForensicGeoscience/FG_L4.pdf

Marks [tool & footprint] at the Crime Scene: www.channel4.com/science/microsites/S/science/society/forensic_marks.html

Poisoning and Overdoses: http://health.allrefer.com/health/poison.html

Serology: It's in the Blood: http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/forensics/serology/3.html

Trace Evidence [paint, glass]: www.channel4.com/science/microsites/S/science/society/forensic_trace.html

What is a Fingerprint (see also Significant Dates and Events& Friction Ridge Identification): http://ridgesandfurrows.homestead.com/fingerprint.html
 
Commissions & Bureaus American Academy of Forensic Science: http://www.aafs.org/

FBI Youth: http://www.fbi.gov/kids/6th12th/6th12th.htm

Forensic Science Associations: http://karisable.com/crdna2.htm

Reddy's Forensic Page - Societies, Organizations and Associations: www.forensicpage.com/new02.htm
 
Computer Aided
Systems		 The FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS): http://www.fbi.gov/hq/lab/pdf/codisbrochure.pdf

Using DNA to solve crimes: www.usdoj.gov/ag/dnapolicybook_solve_crimes.htm
 

 

If you do not find what you're looking for in the above resources, try the search tips listed below.
 

 Internet Search Tips

  1. Type the URL (web site address) of a search directory/engine in the address box: ex: www.google.com or http://scholar.google.com/, etc.
     
  2. (Be sure to type the address exactly the way you see it, including any uppercase letters and punctuation).
     
  3. Type in keyword(s). (If your keyword has two parts such as: "forensic science", be sure to put quotes around it so that the search engine only finds the Internet sites on forensic science as opposed to all of the sites containing the word forensic plus all of the sites containing the word science.
     

  4. If you would like to search for something specific about forensic science, try a combined keyword search by adding a comma followed by a space and your other search term. For instance; if I wanted to find a timeline of events and breakthroughs in forensic science,  I would enter the following:

    "forensic science", timeline, events, breakthroughs   

    OR

    "Tommy Lee Andrews", rapist, trial

    Hit Enter on your keyboard, or click on Search, then scan the description of the "hits" (entries) and click on the links that sound best.
     

  5. Be sure to critically evaluate Internet sources.  UC Berkley Library's Evaluating Webpages: Techniques to Apply and Questions to Ask is an excellent source to help you critique the quality of websites in the following areas:

     

  6. Remember: if you choose to use any information (text or graphics) found on an Internet source, 
    you must include it in your bibliography.

Remember:  YOU MUST CITE EVERY RESOURCE YOU USED to gather information on your 
Works Cited (Bibliography) page.  Use the Works Cited Guide to access MLA format.
 

Created by Susan Bachman, Science Teacher &  Liza Zandonella, Library Media Specialist.

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