Encyclopedia of Forensic Science

Covers all aspects of forensic science past and present, from types of crime and evidence, to forensic scientists and officials, to the criminals they seek. If Sherlock Holmes had cracked the OJ Simpson case, he would have done it with forensic science. Techniques and devices used to analyze crime scene evidence—and their real and fictional practitioners—have long fascinated the public. This reference covers all aspects of forensic science: Types of evidence; Types of crimes or conditions; Criminal cases; Criminal and civil law; The disciplines of criminal justice; Poisons and drugs; The evolution of forensics; Forensic scientists and officials; Serial killers; Relevant literature, characters, and writers; The study focuses on the criminal and societal effects of forensic science in the United States, with attention paid to major British and French advances. The book also examines historical cases in which new techniques were first applied. Entries are arranged both alphabetically and topically, making them easily accessible to student and amateur sleuth alike.

Author Biography

Barbara Gardner Conklin is a special education teacher at Plymouth Elementary School, in Plymouth, New Hampshire. She received a B.A. from Bard College and an M.Ed. from Plymouth State College. She is currently writing two books with Robert Gardner, Health Science Projects about Psychology and Science Projects about Sports and Health. Robert Gardner, former chair of the science department at the Salisbury School, in Salisbury, Connecticut, is a consultant on science education and a distinguished, prolific, and longtime author of science books for children, young adults, and adults. Among his many books are From Talking Drums to the Internet: An Encyclopedia of Communications Technology; Communication, Where On Earth Am I?; Human Evolution; Kitchen Chemistry, and Ideas for Science Projects. Dennis Shortelle is a history teacher and former chairman of the history department at Salisbury School in Salisbury, Connecticut. He is the coauthor with Robert Gardner of The Future and the Past; The Forgotten Players: The Story of Black Baseball in America, and From Talking Drums to the Internet: An Encyclopedia of Communications Technology.