Forensic Scientist Job Descriptions
Forensic scientists help investigators solve crimes by analyzing the pieces of evidence that have been gathered from a crime scene. They might work with a wide variety of evidence types, or specialize in an area such as DNA evidence or fingerprint examination.
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Educational Requirements
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Educational requirements for forensic science jobs vary by agency, but the majority of individuals have at least a bachelor's degree in a "hard science" such as biology or chemistry, or a degree specifically related to criminology.
Documentation Duties
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Forensic scientists must maintain the integrity of evidence by following very strict protocols on the processing, documentation and storage of all evidence that comes into the lab. Evidence must be checked in and secured by scientists before analysis.
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Processing Trace Evidence
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Technicians and scientists analyze trace evidence, which includes items such as hair, fiber or dirt samples. Scientists might use techniques such as microscopic analysis or chemical tests on these samples.
Performing DNA Analysis
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Forensic scientists extract DNA from samples of body fluids or hair to create a genetic profile that can be compared against a known profile to confirm the presence of a given individual at a scene.
Fingerprint Examination
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Scientists in a forensic lab are also responsible for checking all items that come into the lab for the presence of latent fingerprints, and removing them for analysis and comparison to known prints.
Legal Duties
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Forensic scientists are frequently called upon to testify as expert witnesses in court trials, and must be comfortable explaining scientific results to laypeople as well as to investigators and other involved parties.
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