Overview
Forensic Microscopy: A Laboratory Manual will provide the student with a practical overview and understanding of the various microscopes and microscopic techniques employed within the field of forensic science. Each laboratory experiment has been carefully designed to cover the variety of evidence disciplines within the forensic science field with carefully set out objectives, explanations of each topic and worksheets to help students compile and analyse their results.
The emphasis is placed on the practical aspects of the analysis to enrich student understanding through hands on experience. The experiments move from basic through to specialised and have been developed to cover a variety of evidence disciplines within forensic science field. The emphasis is placed on techniques currently used by trace examiners.
This unique, forensic focused, microscopy laboratory manual provides objectives for each topic covered with experiments designed to reinforce what has been learnt along with end of chapter questions, report requirements and numerous references for further reading. Impression evidence such as fingerprints, shoe tread patterns, tool marks and firearms will be analysed using simple stereomicroscopic techniques. Body fluids drug and trace evidence (e.g. paint glass hair fibre) will be covered by a variety of microscopes and specialized microscopic techniques.
Synopsis
Practical Forensic Microscopy is a comprehensive laboratory manual providing the student with a practical overview and understanding of the various microscopes and microscopic techniques used within the field of forensic science.
Each laboratory experiment has been carefully designed to cover the variety of evidence disciplines with carefully set out objectives, explanations of each topic, procedures and worksheets to help students compile and analyse their results. Questions are also included at the end of each experiment to assess the knowledge and skills learned.
Clearly structured throughout, the emphasis is placed on the practical aspects of the analysis to enrich student understanding through hands-on experience. The experiments move carefully from the most basic microscopes and theory through to the more specialized applications with a focus placed on techniques currently used by forensic examiners. Impression evidence such as fingerprints, shoe tread patterns, tool marks and firearms will be analysed using simple stereomicroscopic techniques. Body fluids, drug and trace evidence such as paint, glass and hair are covered by a variety of microscopes and specialized microscopic techniques.
Doody Review Services
Reviewer:Michael Tsokos, PhD, MD(Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences)
Description:This is a comprehensive laboratory manual of microscopic techniques used in and applied to forensic sciences and practical forensic work.
Purpose:The purpose is to present a comprehensive laboratory manual of microscope techniques used in forensics. This book fills a gap in the presently available literature. The authors have accomplished their task.
Audience:According to the authors, this book is intended for undergraduate students and meets the needs of newcomers to the field of forensic microscopy. It will be used as a college manual and will guide students through a typical course of forensic microscopy.
Features:The book covers the broad range of techniques used in forensic microscopy and addresses the critical aspects and limitations of these techniques when applied in practice. Using a systematic approach, it deals both with the theoretical background knowledge of various techniques and their use in practice. The examples of practical applications of these techniques are well chosen and will allow readers to acquire a good background for future work. As expected from a practical manual, the emphasis is on real problems and point-by-point instruction, but never at the expense of the theories and empirical data that form the basis of this aspect of forensic pathology.
Assessment:This helpful book fills a gap for all those entering the field of forensic microscopy. There are no comparable books on the market and the authors deserve kudos for writing it. The market for such books might be small, but the subject is important. This is a significant contribution to the field of forensic microscopy.
Editorials
Reviewer: Michael Tsokos, PhD, MD(Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences)
Description: This is a comprehensive laboratory manual of microscopic techniques used in and applied to forensic sciences and practical forensic work.
Purpose: The purpose is to present a comprehensive laboratory manual of microscope techniques used in forensics. This book fills a gap in the presently available literature. The authors have accomplished their task.
Audience: According to the authors, this book is intended for undergraduate students and meets the needs of newcomers to the field of forensic microscopy. It will be used as a college manual and will guide students through a typical course of forensic microscopy.
Features: The book covers the broad range of techniques used in forensic microscopy and addresses the critical aspects and limitations of these techniques when applied in practice. Using a systematic approach, it deals both with the theoretical background knowledge of various techniques and their use in practice. The examples of practical applications of these techniques are well chosen and will allow readers to acquire a good background for future work. As expected from a practical manual, the emphasis is on real problems and point-by-point instruction, but never at the expense of the theories and empirical data that form the basis of this aspect of forensic pathology.
Assessment: This helpful book fills a gap for all those entering the field of forensic microscopy. There are no comparable books on the market and the authors deserve kudos for writing it. The market for such books might be small, but the subject is important. This is a significant contribution to the field of forensic microscopy.
From the Publisher
'Overall I think this is a well structured book and illustrates the use of different types of microscopes with clearly explained experiments that introduce students to many types of forensic evidence.? (Reviews, May 2009)
• This helpful book fills a gap for all those entering the field of forensic microscopy.? (Doody's Reviews, May 2009)