1932

Abstract

A group of nonscience forensic sciences has developed over the past century. These are fields within the broader forensic sciences that have little or no basis in actual science. They are not applications of established basic sciences, they have not systematically tested their own hypotheses, and they make unsupported assumptions and exaggerated claims. This review explains the nature and origins of those nonscience forensic fields, which include the forensic individualization sciences and certain other areas, such as fire and arson investigation. We explore the role of the courts in maintaining the underdeveloped state of these fields and consider suggestions for improving this state of affairs (addressing the potential role that could be played by these fields themselves, by the courts, and by normal sciences).

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.lawsocsci.4.110707.172303
2008-12-01
2024-03-28
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.lawsocsci.4.110707.172303
Loading
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.lawsocsci.4.110707.172303
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Review Article
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error