FORENSIC SCIENTIST JOB

Forensic scientists are primarily concerned with examining contact trace material associated with crimes. This follows the principle that 'every contact leaves a trace', which will offer potential evidence to link a suspect with the scene of the crime, the victim or the weapon. In contrast with popular perception, this is a highly scientific role, which often involves detailed, painstaking work. Job activities will very much depend on which area of forensics you work in.

The main areas are chemistry, which is connected to crimes against property, such as burglary and arson; biology, which is connected to crimes against people, such as murder, assault and rape; drugs and toxicology. Within these areas, the work usually involves: chemistry - the examination of paint, chemicals, etc. and includes fire investigation and accident reconstruction; biology - DNA testing and the examination of minute contact traces, such as blood, hair, clothing fibers, etc.

Drugs and toxicology - testing for restricted drugs, examining tissue specimens for poison detection, and the analysis of blood and urine samples for alcohol, for example in drink driving offences. However, there is a degree of cross-over and typical work activities are likely to include some or all of the following: analyzing samples, such as hair, body fluids, glass, paint and drugs, in the laboratory applying various techniques, as appropriate, for example mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy and genetic fingerprinting.

And also sifting evidence, attending and examining scenes of crimes, recording findings and collecting trace evidence from scenes of crimes or accidents, inputting relevant data into computer programs, reviewing the work of assistants, presenting results of work in written form or by giving oral evidence, justifying findings under cross-examination in courts of law, researching and developing new techniques, co-ordinating with outside agencies and offering expert advice, liaising with police to establish forensic strategies, writing detailed reports for court, instructing on procedures for cases.