The Role of Collections in Trace Evidence
THE MICROSCOPE
2019, Volume 67:2, pp. 51–64
DOI
https://doi.org/10.59082/IBRH2027
AUTHOR
Christopher S. Palenik
ABSTRACT
In the discipline of trace evidence, collections and databases have been largely developed in an ad hoc manner, often based upon the topical questions that arise in the course of casework. The wide variety of materials encountered in this discipline, the wide range of data that may be collected from a given sample, and the relatively low frequency in which a given sample may be consulted in direct reference to a case are some of the considerations that have limited the development of more formalized collections. This article on collections in trace evidence aims to illustrate the broader range of benefits that collections and their associated datasets can provide to the forensic science community, not only in casework, but also in training and general experience.