Research Experience and Future Criminalists
Frederick P. Smith, RH Liu, Christer Lindquist · Journal of Forensic Sciences · 1988
Abstract With research as its distinguishing characteristic, graduate education in the United States provides the philosophical foundation which, when properly focused, may prepare future criminalists to address significant problems in and advance successfully the practice of criminalistics. Graduate research is the source of much of the knowledge explosion responsible for many state-of-the-art forensic science techniques. In particular, the discoveries and other contributions made by forensic science researchers at universities have been abundant. Graduate research experiences exemplify one of the means proposed to accomplish goals through the encouragement of creative problem solving ability. The paper includes examples of questions confronting criminalistics with emphasis on the ways the graduate research process may contribute to piloting the profession through transition with sensitivity and understanding.