forensic anthropology thesis topics

• How it works

Useful Links

How much will your dissertation cost?

Have an expert academic write your dissertation paper!

Dissertation Services

Get unlimited topic ideas and a dissertation plan for just £45.00

Order topics and plan

Get 1 free topic in your area of study with aim and justification

Yes I want the free topic

Forensic Science Dissertation Topics

Published by Carmen Troy at January 4th, 2023 , Revised On May 3, 2024

Forensic science is a branch of science or an application that enables using scientific tools, techniques, and principles to solve a criminal act. The application of Forensic science lies in the criminal justice system, whereby scientists probe an event to disclose the actual occurrences of a crime event.

Choosing forensic science as a career is valuable in terms of its novelty, progression, and demand. It is a fairly new field that has a lot of room for progress and advancement, with advancing technology and is in demand to dig out the ground realities of a crime. When you practice forensic science, no two days will be the same, unlike other professions. One day, you may be testing samples and making assessments of the results other days.

But before you start practising, you are required to complete your degree which is conditioned by conditioned with writing a dissertation in the final year. If you are clueless about where to start your dissertation, you are not alone. Go through some of the dissertation topics related to forensic science given below, along with their research aim, and get an idea of how to begin your dissertation.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting a  brief research proposal  from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an  introduction  to the problem,  research question , aim and objectives,  literature review , along the proposed methodology  of research to be conducted. Let us know if you need any help in getting started.

Check our  example dissertation  to get an idea of  how to structure your dissertation .

You can review step by step guide on how to write your dissertation  here .

Want to know what essay structure and style will work best for your assignment?

Problem fixed! We can write any type of essay in any referencing style. We ensure every essay written is beyond your expectations.

Latest Forensic Science Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: investigating the challenges associated with pattern and impression evidence for recommending scientific foundations for accuracy, reliability and validity of forensic analysis.

Research Aim: The research aims to investigate the challenges associated with pattern and impression evidence to recommend scientific foundations for the accuracy, reliability, and validity of forensic analysis.

Objectives:

• To critically analyse the challenges of pattern and impression evidence in forensics.
• To evaluate the use of qualitative comparisons in forensic analysis of pattern evidence and impression to detect any scope of examiner bias.
• To recommend measures for increasing the accuracy, reliability and validity of forensic analysis based on scientific foundations.

Topic 2: Investigating the impact of medical imaging technologies for determining the cause of and manner of sudden death to potentially interpret evidence of foul play

Research Aim: The research aims to investigate the impact of medical imaging technologies for determining the cause of and manner of sudden death to potentially interpret evidence of foul play

• To analyse the forensic sciences used in the determination of sudden death.
• To determine the role of medical imaging technologies in determining sudden death and foul play.
• To evaluate the impact of medical imaging technologies in determining the cause and manner of sudden infant death.

Topic 3: An evaluation of the impact of forensic odontology on solving crimes and legal ethics.

Research Aim: The research aims to evaluate the impact of forensic odontology on solving crimes and the associated legal ethics.

• To analyse the role of forensic odontology in the identification of unknown diseased individuals.
• To analyse the impact of forensic odontology in solving medicolegal problems and providing expert testimony in criminal cases.
• To investigate the efficacy with which forensic odontologists identify human remains from crime scenes and detect signs of abuse or neglect among children and the elderly.

Topic 4: Evaluation of the impact of forensic anthropology on the identification of age, gender and size of crime victims.

Research Aim: The research aims to evaluate the impact of forensic anthropology on the identification of age, gender and size of crime victims.

• To contextualise the role application of forensic anthropology in solving criminal cases.
• To analyse the work of forensic anthropologists and determine their role in crime scenes.
• To investigate the role of forensic anthropology in identifying the age, gender and size of crime victims.

Topic 5: Determining the effectiveness of blood spatter studies in identifying the nature and timing of crime at crime scenes

Research Aim: The research aims to determine the effectiveness of blood spatter studies in identifying the nature and timing of crime at crime scenes

• To determine the applications of blood spatter studies in forensic sciences.
• To analyse the methods of detecting the nature and timing of crime at the crime scenes.
• To investigate the effectiveness of blood spatter studies and the scientific basis in identifying the nature and timing of crime at crime scenes

Topic. 1: Forensic science in the 20th century and today

Research Aim: The research aim of the paper will be to find and analyse the differences between the forensic science that existed in the 20 th century and the forensic science that exists today. The research will also identify the basis for forensic science and identify the progress it has made in the time span.

Different methods can be employed to study the difference such as qualitative and quantitative analysis. In one way, forensic science’s conventional and modern methods and principles can be tested for accuracy and precision. In addition, forensic scientists can be interviewed about the differences that they have experienced in the testing methodologies.

Topic. 2: Case Study of the criminal cases and convictions resolved through forensic science

Research Aim: The aim of the research will be to study a couple or more cases that are resolved through forensic science. The research will identify in which capacity the forensic science was eminent in finding significant results, identifying the indicators, and thus disclosing the facts to resolve a complicated criminal case easily.

For more value, the researcher can study high-profile cases to identify the role of forensic science in resolving the most emphatic cases.

Topic. 3: Role of botany and entomology in the forensic science

Research Aim: Botany is the study of plants, and it is significantly related to forensic science. In forensic science, botany can be used to investigate a suspicious plant material at the crime scene. On the other hand, entomology is the study of insects. This study helps in finding the time since death and the source of the dead body.

The research will aim to find the wide importance of botany and entomology in forensic science. The researcher can examine the methods and principles of entomology and botany and identify their application in botany and entomology.

Topic. 4: The impact of swift changes and innovation in technology on the forensic science

Research Aim: Forensic science has improved and changed a lot from what it was twenty to thirty years ago. As innovations and advancements occur in the field of science, methods, techniques, tools, and principles are being modified and simplifie .

The main aim of the research will be to identify the changes and innovations in technology and find their significant impact on forensic science.

Topic. 5: Future of forensic science

Research Aim: The aim of the research will be to speculate on the future of forensic science while considering current aspects and trends. The researcher can study the opinions of forensic science researchers, examine trends, and reach a finding.

Topic. 6: Forensic science and ethical dilemmas

Research Aim: The application of forensic science is very vast, yet when it comes to ethical and moral ideologies, it has to stumble in some societies.

The aim of the research will be to identify the ethical dilemmas around forensic science in different regions of the world. The study may incorporate the assessment of cultural and religious values and examine the factors lying at the heart of the dilemmas.

Topic 7: Process of victim identification through skeletal remains

Research Aim: The research will find and discuss how a victim can be identified through skeletal remains and what steps they have to go through to find results. The research can also discuss the scope, significance, and progress made in the techniques and tools used for identification.

Topic 8: The future of forensic anthropology

Research Aim: Forensics is very useful in studying anthropology, which incorporates the scientific study of humans. The aim of the research will be to identify the future of forensic anthropology, considering to what extent forensics is applicable in anthropology today and how it will advance the study in the future if it does.

Topic 9: Value of crime scene photography in forensics

Research Aim: The research will carry out a scientific analysis of why crime scene photography is important in forensics. It will examine the cases with and without crime scene photography and their impact on forensics and, therefore on the results.

Topic. 10: Drugs and Forensics

Research Aim: The main aim of the research will be to identify the effects of opioids and other drugs on forensics and examine how they can halt or boost the examination process.

Topic. 11: Reliability of fingerprint and pattern impression evidence

Research Aim: The roots of forensics lie in the heart of fingerprint and pattern impressions.

The research will identify how reliable a fingerprint or other impression evidence is. It will find if it is easy to reach conclusive results with this evidence. And how wrong evidence can devastate the credibility of forensics.

Topic 12: The downsides of forensic science

Research Aim: While the scope of forensics is immense, we also need to identify the downside to it. The aim of the research will be to find the downsides of forensic science, its potential, and how it may affect the criminal justice system as a whole.

Topic. 13: Geographic forensic science

Research Aim: The research will aim to study and deeply analyse forensic geology. It will thoroughly study all four types of Geographic forensics: pedology, mineralogy and petrology; geophysics; natural geography and geoscience; remote sensing, location data and Geographic Information systems (GIS).

Topic. 14: Nuclear forensic science

Research Aim: Nuclear forensic science is the investigation and study of nuclear material to investigate the origin and history of the material.

The research will study and analyse Nuclear forensic science, its scope, implications, and future.

Topic. 15: Role of RNA in forensic science

Research Aim: Ribonucleic acid is a molecule in our body that is similar to DNA. While DNA plays a significant role in forensics, RNA also holds immense value.

The research will study the role of RNA in forensic science, its scope, and its principles for investigation.

Topic. 16: Role of Blood spatters in solving crimes

Research Aim: The research will aim to analyse and figure out the role of the blood spatters of the victim or culprit in investigating the time of death, the source that caused the blood spatters, and the identity of the victim or culprit.

Topic. 17: Forensic frauds and their penalties

Research Aim: Oftentimes, forensic reports are doctored to mislead the judiciary and save the real culprit. The research will find out if there are laws around handling forensic investigations and penalties for fraud around the world. The researcher can study the laws in a particular context—for example,  Forensic frauds and their penalties in Europe, or the United Kingdom, etc.

Topic. 18: History of Forensic Science

Research Aim: The main research aim of the research will be to study and analyse the history of forensic science. The research will make significant, useful contrasts to understand the roots of forensics and its evolution.

Topic. 19: Understanding Antemortem, Perimortem, and Postmortem

Research Aim: Experts have to differentiate between antemortem, perimortem, and postmortem bone fracture to estimate the postmortem interval. The research aim will be to understand the concepts of antemortem, perimortem, and postmortem and their scope in forensics.

Topic. 20: Forensic science and facial recognition

Research Aim: The main aim of the research is to identify and analyse the scope of financial recognition in forensics. It will also discuss the developments and prospects in the field.

Topic 21: The Role of Forensic Anthropology in Mass Disaster Victim Identification.

Research Aim: This research investigates the role of forensic anthropology in the process of mass disaster victim identification. The study focuses on its methodologies, technologies, challenges, and advancements.

Topic 22: DNA Profiling and its Application in Forensic Investigations.

Research Aim: This study explores the principles, methodologies, and applications of DNA profiling in forensic investigations. It focuses on understanding its significance, challenges, and advancements. The research further aims to provide insights into improving forensic techniques.

Topic 23: Digital Forensics and Challenges and Innovations in Cybercrime Investigations.

Research Aim: This research examines the evolving landscape of digital forensics, including its methodologies, challenges, and innovative techniques, within the context of cybercrime investigations.

Topic 24: Forensic Entomology: Advancements in Estimating Postmortem Interval.

Research Aim: This study explores the latest advancements in forensic entomology for estimating postmortem interval (PMI), encompassing methodologies, technologies, and challenges, with the objective of enhancing the accuracy and reliability of PMI determination in forensic investigations.

Topic 25: The Effectiveness of Forensic Odontology in Human Identification.

Research Aim: This research assesses the effectiveness and reliability of forensic odontology in human identification, exploring its methodologies, techniques, limitations, and advancements to elucidate its role in forensic investigations.

Topic 26: The Use of Isotopic Analysis in Forensic Investigations.

Research Aim: To investigate the use of isotopic analysis in forensic investigations, examining its methodologies, applications, limitations, and advancements to understand its efficacy in tracing geographical origins, dietary habits, and movement patterns of individuals.

Topic 27: The Use of Geographical Profiling in Serial Crime Investigations.

Research Aim: To examine the effectiveness and applications of geographical profiling in serial crime investigations, exploring its methodologies, algorithms, limitations, and advancements, to understand its role in identifying offender spatial behaviour patterns, assisting law enforcement agencies in prioritising investigative resources, and enhancing the apprehension of serial offenders.

Topic 28: The Role of Forensic Genetics in Ancestry and Kinship Analysis.

Research Aim: To investigate the role of forensic genetics in ancestry and kinship analysis, exploring methodologies, technologies, challenges, and advancements to understand its utility in tracing familial relationships and ancestral origins, contributing to the resolution of criminal cases, and informing ethical considerations surrounding genetic privacy and identity.

Topic 29: Forensic Botany: Investigating Plant Evidence in Wildlife Crime Cases.

Research Aim: To explore the application of forensic botany in wildlife crime investigations, examining methodologies, techniques, challenges, and advancements, to understand its efficacy in analysing plant evidence, identifying species, and reconstructing crime scenes.

Free Dissertation Topic

Phone Number

Academic Level Select Academic Level Undergraduate Graduate PHD

Academic Subject

Area of Research

Frequently Asked Questions

How to find forensic science dissertation topics.

To discover forensic science dissertation topics:

• Research recent advancements.
• Examine unsolved cases or challenges.
• Investigate emerging technologies.
• Explore DNA, digital forensics, etc.
• Analyse legal and ethical aspects.
• Select a topic aligning with your passion and expertise.

You May Also Like

Do you have a dissertation topic in the field of information technology? If not, our competent dissertation writers are at your disposal. The importance of technology research cannot be overstated.

Are you passionate about helping others, especially those facing mental health challenges? If this is the case for you, then mental health nursing is a career choice you may not want to pursue.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the process of building machines, robots and software that are intelligent enough to act as humans.

USEFUL LINKS

LEARNING RESOURCES

COMPANY DETAILS

• How It Works

• USF Research
• USF Libraries

Digital Commons @ USF > College of Arts and Sciences > Anthropology > Theses and Dissertations

Anthropology Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Entanglements of Teenage Food Security Within High School Pantries in Pinellas County, Florida , Karen T. Diaz Serrano

Entanglements of Teenage Food Security Within High School Pantries in Pinellas County, Florida , Karen T. Díaz Serrano

The Applicability of the Postmortem Submersion Interval Estimation Formula for Human Remains Found in Subtropical Aquatic Environments , Kara L. DiComo

Early Agricultural Lives: Bioarchaeological Inferences from Neolithic and Early Copper Age Tombs in the Central Po Valley, Italy , Christopher J. Eck Jr.

The Process of Government in Clearwater, Florida , Picot deBoisfeuillet Floyd

“I Was Doing the Best with What I Had”: Exploring Student Veterans’ Experiences with Community Reintegration, Food Insecurity, and Health Challenges , Jacquelyn N. Heuer

Transformative Psychedelic Experiences at Music Events: Using Subjective Experience to Explore Chemosocial Assemblages of Culture , Gabrielle R. Lehigh

“We Need to Have a Place to Vent and Get Our Frustrations Out”: Addressing the Needs of Mothering Students in Higher Education using a Positive Deviance Framework , Melissa León

“They’re Still Trying to Wrap Their Head Around Forever”: An Anatomy of Hope for Spinal Cord Injury Patients , William A. Lucas

Foodways of the Florida Frontier: Zooarchaeological Analysis of Gamble Plantation Historic State Park (8MA100) , Mary S. Maisel

The Impacts of Disability Policy and its Implementation on Deaf University Students: An Applied Anthropological Approach , Tailyn Marie Osorio

“I’m Still Suffering”: Mental Health Care Among Central African Refugee Populations in the Tampa Bay Area , C. Danee Ruszczyk

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Immigration-Related Stressors, Pregnancy, Birth, and Post-Partum Experiences of Women Living Along the US-Mexico Border , Isabela Solis

Clinically Applied Anthropology: A Syndemic Intervention. , Jason W. Wilson

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

An Assessment of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Individuals Gender Affirming Health Care Practices in the Greater Tampa Bay , Sara J. Berumen

Mound-Summit Practices at Cockroach Key (8HI2) Through the Lens of Practice Theory , Chandler O. Burchfield

Crafting a Scene: The Nexus of Production and Consumption of Tampa Bay Craft Beer , Russell L. Edwards

Applied Anthropology of Addiction in Clinical Spaces: co-Developing and Assessing a Novel Opioid Treatment Pathway , Heather Diane Henderson

Japan’s COVID 19 Infection Rate: A Focus on Tokyo Neighborhoods , Lauren Koerner

Farmers’ Organizations and Development Actors in a Pandemic: Responses to Covid-19 and the Food-Energy-Water Nexus , Atte Penttilä

An Ideology of Racism: Community Representation, Segregation, and the Historical Cemeteries of Panama City, Florida , Ethan David Mauldin Putman

“Even If You Have Food in Your House, It Will Not Taste Sweet”: Central African Refugees’ Experiences of Cultural Food Insecurity and Other Overlapping Insecurities in Tampa, Florida , Shaye Soifoine

Afro-Latinx and Afro-Latin Americans in the United States: Examining Ethnic and Racial Experiences in Higher Education , Glenda Maria Vaillant Cruz

Black Cemeteries Matter: The Erasure of Historic Black Cemeteries in Polk County, Florida , Juliana C. Waters

An Anthropology with Human Waste Management: Non-Humans, The State, and Matters of Care on the Placencia Peninsula, Belize , William Alex Webb

An Edgefield Ceramic Assemblage from the Lost Town of St. Joseph, Northwest Florida , Crystal R. Wright

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Aspiring to “Make it Work”: Defining Resilience and Agency Amongst Hispanic Youth Living in Low-Income Neighborhoods , Sara Arias-Steele

“I Wish Somebody Called Me, Told Me Not to Worry”: Evaluating a Non-Profit’s Use of Social Support to Address Refugee Women’s Resettlement Challenges , Brandylyn L. Arredondo

Of Body and Mind: Bioarchaeological Analysis of Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century Anatomization and Institutionalization in Siena, Italy , Jacqueline M. Berger

Cannabis Capitalism in Colorado: An Ethnography of Il/legal Production and Consumption , Lia Berman

Analyses Of Woodland Check-Stamped Ceramics In Northwest Florida , John D. Blackburn

“Here Come the Crackers!”: An Ethnohistorical Case Study of Local Heritage Discourses and Cultural Reproduction at a Florida Living History Museum , Blair Bordelon

Privies as Portals: A Ceramic and Glass Bottle Analysis of a Late 19th Century Household Privy in Ellenton, FL , Shana Boyer

Making Change in the Nickel City: Food Banking and Food Insecurity in Buffalo, NY During the COVID-19 Pandemic , Sarah E. Bradley

Ware and Tear in Ancient Tampa Bay: Ceramic Elemental Analyses from Pinellas County Sites , McKenna Loren Douglass

Rethinking Settlement Patterns at the Weeden Island Site (8PI1) on Florida’s Central Gulf Coast , Heather E. Draskovich

Listening to Women: Using a Mixed-Methods Approach to Understanding Women’s Desires and Experience During Childbirth , Nicole Loraine Falk Smith

Archaeology and Seasonality of Stock Island (8Mo2), a Glades-Tradition Village on Key West , Ryan M. Harke

How Culture and Storytelling Can Influence Urban Development: An Ethnographic Look at the Community-Driven Revitalization of Newtown in Sarasota, Florida , Michala Head

Educational Experiences of Congolese Refugees in West-Central Florida High Schools , Michaela J. Inks

Constructing 'Child Safety': Policy, Practice, and Marginalized Families in Florida's Child Welfare System , Melissa Hope Johnson

"We're the Lucky Ones": A Social Network Analysis of Recovery After the Iowa Derecho , Kayla C. Jones

How Race is Made in Everyday Life: Food, Eating, and Dietary Acculturation among Black and White Migrants in Florida, U.S. , Laura Kihlstrom

Tourism, Education, and Identity Making: Agency and Representation of Indigenous Communities in Public Sites within Florida. , Timothy R. Lomberk II

Pregnancy and Fertility Amongst Women with the MTHFR C677T Polymorphism: An Anthropological Review , Caroline A. MacLean

A Biocultural Analysis of the Impacts of Interactions Between West Africans and Europeans During the Trans-Atlantic Trade at Elmina, Ghana , Heidi Ellen Miller

The Distribution in Native Populations from Mexico and Central America of the C677T Variant in the MTHFR Gene , Lucio A. Reyes

Politics vs. The Environment: The Spatial Distributions of Mississippian Mound Centers in Tampa Bay , Adam J. Sax

Seasonality, Labor Organization, and Monumental Constructions: An Otolith Study from Florida’s Crystal River Site (8CI1) and Roberts Island Shell Mound Complex (8CI40 and 41) , Elizabeth Anne Southard

Eating and Body Image Disorders in the Time of COVID19: An Anthropological Inquiry into the Pandemic’s Effects on the Bodies , Theresa A. Stoddard

The Early Medieval Transition: Diet Reconstruction, Mobility, and Culture Contact in the Ravenna Countryside, Northern Italy , Anastasia Temkina

The Science of Guessing: Critiquing Ancestral Estimation Through Computer Generated Statistical Analysis Within Forensic Anthropology in a Real-World Setting , Christopher J. Turner

Listening to Queens: Ghana's Women Traditional Leaders as a Model for Gender Parity , Kristen M. Vogel

Site Suitability Modeling in the Sand Pine Scrub of the Ocala National Forest , Jelane M. Wallace

Our Story, Our Homeland, Our Legacy: Settlement Patterns of The Geechee at Sapelo Island Georgia, From 1860 To 1950 , Colette D. Witcher

Identifying Skeletal Puberty Stages in a Modern Sample from the United States , Jordan T. Wright

Pollen-Vegetation Relationships in Upper Tampa Bay , Jaime E. Zolik

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Maternal Social Status, Offspring 2D:4D Ratio and Postnatal Growth, in Macaca mulatta (Rhesus Macaques) , Juan Pablo Arroyo

Social Exclusion of Older Mossi Women Accused of Witchcraft in Burkina Faso, West Africa , Clarisse Barbier

Fields Brook Superfund Site: Race, Class, and Environmental Justice in a Blasted Landscape , Richard C. Bargielski

The Effects of Feudalism on Medieval English Mobility: A Biological Distance Study Using Nonmetric Cranial Traits. , Jonathan H. Barkmeier

Before the Storm: Water and Energy Utilities, Human Vulnerability and Disaster Risk , Cori D. Bender

Recipes for the Living and the Dead: Technological Investigation of Ceramics from prehistoric Sicily. The case studies of Sant’Angelo Muxaro and Polizzello , Gianpiero Caso

Save Water Drink Wine: Challenges of Implementing the Ethnography of the Temecula Valley Wine Industry into Food-Energy-Water Nexus Decision-Making , Zaida E. Darley

İYo luché! : Uncovering and Interrupting Silencing in an Indigenous and Afro-descendant Community , Eileen Cecelia Deluca

Unwritten Records: Crime and Punishment in Early Virginia , Jessica L. Gantzert

‘It’s Been a Huge Stress’: An In-Depth, Exploratory Study of Vaccine Hesitant Parents in Southern California , Mika Kadono

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Elemental Analysis in Bioarchaeology and Forensic Anthropology , Kelsi N. Kuehn

Middle Woodland Mounds of the Lower Chattahoochee, Lower Flint, and Apalachicola River Basin , Michael H. Lockman

Overturning the Turnbull Settlement: Artifact Analysis of the Old Stone Wharf in New Smyrna Beach, Florida , Tracy R. Lovingood

“They will think we are the Cancer Family”: Studying Patterns of Cancer Disclosure and Communication among Indian Immigrants in the United States , Kanan Mehta

Museum Kura Hulanda: Representations of Transatlantic Slavery and African and Dutch Heritage in Post-Colonial Curaçao , April Min

Nurses and Needlesticks: Perceptions of Stigma and HIV Risk , Bethany Sharon Moore

Circadian Rhythms and the Embodiment of Social Zeitgebers: Linking the Bio and Social , Tiffany R. Moore

Civic Engagement amid Civil Unrest: Haitian Social Scientists Working at Home , Nadège Nau

“Placing our breasts on a hot kerosene lantern”: A Critical Study of Microfinancialization in the Lives of Women Entrepreneurs in the Informal Economic Sector in Ibadan, Nigeria , Olubukola Olayiwola

Domestic Life during the Late Intermediate Period at El Campanario Site, Huarmey Valley, Peru , Jose Luis Peña

Archaeology and the Philosopher's Stance: An Advance in Ethics and Information Accessibility , Dina Rivera

A South Florida Ethnography of Mobile Home Park Residents Organizing Against Neoliberal Crony Capitalist Displacement , Juan Guillermo Ruiz

From Colonial Legacy to Difficult Heritage: Responding to and Remembering An Gorta Mór , Ireland’s Great Hunger , Katherine Elizabeth Shakour

The Role of Financial Insecurity and Expectations on Perspectives of Mental Health Services among Refugees , Jacqueline M. Siven

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Trauma Analysis in Cases of Child Fatality , Jaime D. Sykes

Governmentality, Biopower, and Sexual Citizenship: A Feminist Examination of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare Experiences of 18-24 Year-Olds in the U.S. Southeast , Melina K. Taylor

Characterizing Childhood and Diet in Migration Period Hungary , Kirsten A. Verostick

An Ethnography of WaSH Infrastructures and Governance in Sulphur Springs, Florida , Mathews Jackon Wakhungu

A Plan for Progress, Preservation, and Presentation at the Safety Harbor Museum and Cultural Center , Amanda L. Ward

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Pathways to Parenthood: Attitudes and Preferences of Eight Self-Identified Queer Women Living in Tampa Bay, FL , Emily Noelle Baker

"It's Not Addiction Until You Graduate": Natural Recovery in the College Context , Breanne I. Casper

Tales of Trafficking: Performing Women's Narratives in a Sex Trafficking Rehabilitation Program in Florida , Jaine E. Danlag

Perceptions of Infrastructure, Flood Management, and Environmental Redevelopment in the University Area, Hillsborough County, Florida , Kris-An K. Hinds

Eating in America: Easing the Transition for Resettled Refugees through an Applied Anthropological Intervention , Emily A. Holbrook

Genetic Testing and the Power of the Provider: Women’s Experiences with Cancer Genetic Testing , Dana Erin Ketcher

An Archaeological Investigation of Enslavement at Gamble Plantation , S. Matthew Litteral

“Right in the Trenches with Them”: Caregiving, Advocacy, and the Political Economy of Community Health Workers , Ryan I. Logan

Exploring Variations in Diet and Migration from Late Antiquity to the Early Medieval Period in the Veneto, Italy: A Biochemical Analysis , Ashley B. Maxwell

Least of My Worries: Food Security, Diet Quality, and Antiretroviral Adherence among People Living with HIV , Charlotte Ann Noble

The Tampa Gym Study: An Ethnographic Exploration of Gyms, Female Gym-Goers and The Quest for Fitness in Tampa, FL , Danielle Reneé Rosen

Advanced Search

• Email Notifications and RSS
• All Collections
• USF Faculty Publications
• Open Access Journals
• Conferences and Events
• Theses and Dissertations
• Textbooks Collection

Useful Links

• USF Anthropology Home
• Rights Information
• SelectedWorks
• Submit Research

Home | About | Help | My Account | Accessibility Statement | Language and Diversity Statements

Privacy Copyright

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Biology (Basel)

Recent Advances in Forensic Anthropological Methods and Research

Eugénia cunha.

1 Centre for Functional Ecology (CEF), Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal; tp.cu.ic@eahnuc

2 National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, 1169-201 Lisbon, Portugal

Ann H. Ross

3 Human Identification & Forensic Analysis Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 276995, USA

This Special Issue, “Recent Advances in Forensic Anthropological Methods and Research”, with thirteen articles covers a wide range of highly diverse topics within forensic anthropology. Topics ranging from innovative approaches to critical reviews have received much attention, with more than thirteen thousand views during the past year. This is unequivocal proof of the interest in this Special Issue. Authors representing Europe, the United States, Australia, and South Africa embody the breadth of the present-day research being conducted in forensic anthropology.

In regard to estimating biological profiles (e.g., biological sex, age at death, population affinity, and stature), there are three articles focusing on age at death. One manuscript by Niel, Chaumoître, and Adalian [ 1 ] addresses bias due to altered growth trajectories in estimating juvenile aging in fetuses and infants. Two manuscripts discuss aging adults, considered to be the Achilles heel of forensic anthropology. A paper by Dias, Manco, Corte Real, and Cunha [ 2 ] proposes a blood–bone–tooth model using DNA methylation to predict age in forensic contexts. This paper presents an interesting alternative for aging the dead and the living, and brings new insights into the development of multitissue age prediction models as applied to blood, bone, and teeth. The third adult age estimation article by Navega, Costa, and Cunha [ 3 ] proposes a new method based on a multifactorial macroscopic analysis and deep random neural network models. Within the generic factors of identity (i.e., biological profile), the ever-polemic topic of population affinity is discussed and illustrated using geometric morphometric and spatial analysis methods within Latin America. Ross and Williams [ 4 ] argue that there is a benefit to and necessity of embracing studies that employ population structure models to better understand human variation and the historical factors that have influenced it.

Within the realm of individualizing factors, Butaric, Richman, and Garvin [ 5 ] discuss the potential factors that might affect the reliability of using frontal sinuses for personal identification. Their study investigates how slight deviations in orientations affect sinus size and outline shape, which could potentially impact identification.

New approaches are illustrated by the article by Procopio, Mein, Starace, Bonicelli, and Williams [ 6 ], which shows that bone proteomics is a well-founded resource with which to identify microbially driven versus extrinsically driven bone diagenesis. Another novel subject is the review by Marquez-Grant and colleagues on the effects of various drugs on the skeleton, including prescription and recreational drugs, that could affect forensic anthropological analyses [ 7 ]. Another new approach by McWhirter and colleagues describes how to accurately individualize skeletons from commingled remains using mesh-to-mesh value comparisons for pair matching skeletal elements [ 8 ].

A topic with increasing attention is forensic facial comparison, which is the subject of one paper by Bacci and coworkers that discusses relevant terminology, the validity as well as reliability of the Facial Identification Scientific Working Group’s list of morphological features, and proposes standards for CCTV equipment [ 9 ].

The need to know the attributions of each area of expertise in forensic anthropology is discussed by Passalacqua, Pilloud, and Congram [ 10 ], who call attention to ethical procedures and requisite qualifications. Furthermore, they emphasize the need to develop standards and best practice guidelines.

One of the main reasons why forensic anthropologists are called to testify in court is because of traumatic injuries to skeletal tissues. The article of de Boer, Berger, and Blau [ 11 ] discusses and examines the concept of ‘degree of force’ as well as why it is considered a pertinent issue in legal proceedings.

One of the big challenges in skeletal traumatic injuries interpretation is to perform discrimination among BFT and thermal-induced trauma. Keys and Ross [ 12 ] conducted an experiment that found that blunt force trauma signatures remained after burning. It concludes that there are distinct patterns attributed to thermal fractures and blunt force fractures.

Nonhuman skeletal remains continue to be part of the routine cases of forensic anthropologists. The Garvin team [ 13 ] assesses the utility of quantitative methods for distinguishing human from nonhuman remains and presents additional resources for species identification.

We can consider that we have accomplished our aims of presenting a wide array of methods and topics that are unquestionably relevant to the practice of forensic anthropology. The quality of expertise has to derive from modern and updated research.

A teoria orienta, a experiência decide.

Funding Statement

This research received no external funding.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, E.C. and A.H.R.; writing—original draft preparation, E.C. and A.H.R.; writing—review and editing, E.C. and A.H.R. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

• Search Menu
• Sign in through your institution
• Advance Articles
• Special Issues
• High-Impact Collection
• Author Guidelines
• Submission Site
• Call for Papers
• Open Access Options
• Self-Archiving Policy
• Why Publish with Us?
• About Forensic Sciences Research
• Journal Metrics
• About the Academy of Forensic Science
• Editorial Board
• Advertising & Corporate Services

Article Contents

Molecular analysis of skeletal evidence, migrant identification, search, detection and recovery, commingling analysis, biomechanics of bone trauma, decomposition research, bone microscopy, isotope analysis, facial imaging, recent advances in forensic anthropology.

• Article contents
• Figures & tables
• Supplementary Data

Douglas H. Ubelaker, Recent Advances in Forensic Anthropology, Forensic Sciences Research , Volume 3, Issue 4, December 2018, Pages 275–277, https://doi.org/10.1080/20961790.2018.1466384

• Permissions Icon Permissions

Forensic anthropology involves diverse applications of anthropological knowledge to medico-legal problems. While the applications are evidence-driven, the available scientific methodology and foundation have developed through decades of research and experience. The roots of this field are anchored in comparative human anatomy but methodology has developed through experimentation, the assemblage of documented collections and databases and thoughtful research design. While forensic anthropology represents a mature scientific field, it continues to evolve and advance through new, innovative global research. Much of this progress is fuelled by issues encountered in casework. The unique evidence and problems presented in forensic cases call for the very best scientific approaches available. Usually, the correct approaches and solutions can be found in the existing scientific literature. However, sometimes the unique issues presented by the casework cannot be addressed adequately with the existing techniques. These situations stimulate forensic anthropologists to seek new solutions through targeted research.

This Special Issue presents research advances in several areas of forensic anthropology that have sustained rapid, recent progress. While our journals continually reveal new information in all aspects of forensic anthropology, several areas of investigation have registered particularly strong academic interest featuring innovative research.

Successful recovery and analysis of DNA has dramatically affected many areas of forensic science. In the field of forensic anthropology, molecular analysis can yield highly accurate information regarding the sex of the individual represented and provide positive identification [ 1 ]. Molecular approaches also can contribute to ancestry evaluation and species recognition. The use of DNA for positive identification has had a major impact on the practice of forensic anthropology and related fields of forensic science.

While the merits and contributions of DNA analysis are profound, many related issues express the need for new, innovative research and technological development. Frequently, evidence submitted for forensic anthropological analysis is not in pristine condition. In many cases, recovered remains are incomplete and/or extremely degraded due to criminal activity and/or taphonomic factors. Some site investigations produce only small fragments where even species is not apparent. Decisions need to be made regarding what areas of bone or tooth should be examined. Since DNA analysis is an expensive and destructive process, these decisions are critical and can affect the outcome of the case. Of course, decisions regarding the type of DNA analysis also are critical and largely driven by both the availability of the antemortem information and the nature of the evidence. Experimentation and casework experience have greatly improved approaches to these issues.

Deaths related to the global movement of undocumented people across national borders present major forensic challenges. Even within countries, identification of citizens can be difficult with incomplete evidence and lack of information regarding missing persons. These problems are greatly exacerbated when different countries are involved and the international movement of the person represented is not registered officially. Such cases call for extraordinary investigation, thoughtful forensic analysis and international communication. These efforts can strain the available local resources and often fall short of positive identification.

Recent years have witnessed remarkable efforts to address the identification of deceased, undocumented border crossers. These initiatives have involved international cooperation, careful exhumation procedures, comprehensive anthropological analysis and new techniques such as isotope analysis to identify the likely regions/countries of origin.

The entire process of forensic anthropological investigation begins with the procedures of search, detection and recovery. Improper or inadequate detection and recovery of human remains can compromise the downstream analysis and interpretation. While the traditional techniques of surface survey and excavation continue to be needed, new approaches, especially those using advanced technology offer significant advances.

Search procedures can be especially challenging when only very general information is available regarding the likely location of human remains. Topographic features can present limitations, especially with dense vegetation and other ground cover. Investigations of humanitarian and human rights issues can present special search and recovery challenges when information suggests that wells, cisterns, sewer systems, mass graves or disposal in water were involved. Confronted with these problems, researchers have devised innovative new approaches to improve the probability of success.

Secondary deposits of human remains or those that have sustained significant disturbance involve loss of normal bone articulation patterns. When multiple individuals are involved, the resulting commingling presents challenges to determine the number of persons represented and to assemble remains of individuals for analysis, identification and return to families. Traditional approaches to commingling problems have involved sorting by the type and side (left or right) of bone, age at death, bone size and maturation, sex and pathological conditions. In some skeletal assemblages, taphonomic indicators can be helpful as well.

Once obvious sorting has been completed, questions persist regarding bone morphology related to individuals. Could a robust femur relate to a robust humerus and represent one individual? Recent advances in commingling analysis address this issue. New databases and computerized techniques establish the probabilities that different bones could relate to the same individual. Applications refine the determination of the number of individuals represented and facilitate analysis aimed at identification.

A primary function of anthropological analysis relates to the interpretation of bone trauma. Anthropologists must differentiate the skeletal alterations representing perimortem trauma from those relating to antemortem injury, developmental features or postmortem and taphonomic factors. Assessment of the biomechanical factors involved plays a key role in any interpretation. Knowledge of biomechanical principles is required to explain fracture patterns and other alterations likely related to perimortem trauma. Interpretation of bone trauma can be challenging. Such challenges have led to greater understanding of the principles involved and experimental work designed to improve interpretation.

Major new initiatives in forensic anthropology have focused on decomposition research. Experiments involving both humans and non-human animals have revealed great detail about the process and variation of soft tissue decomposition and hard tissue alteration. In general, such research has elucidated the many factors that influence both the nature and timing of the decomposition process. Clearly temperature and location (surface, in-ground, aquatic, etc.) have long been regarded as key factors. Research has also indicated that soil conditions, moisture, body composition, body condition, presence of clothing or enclosures, funerary treatment and many other factors can influence the process. Such information is needed to properly assess time since death (post-mortem interval) and post-mortem events related to criminal activity.

In 1965, Ellis R. Kerley [ 2 ] published a technique that allowed age at death to be estimated from microscopic examination of features in human compact bone from the femur, tibia and fibula. Kerley's procedure involved the examination of primary osteons, secondary osteons, osteon fragments and the extent of remaining circumferential lamellar bone. This approach gained recognition due to its reported accuracy and the fundamental processes of bone formation and remodelling that it expressed. Since 1965, the technique has undergone many revisions and expansions for application to other bones of the skeleton. Research also has revealed how bone microscopic examination can provide useful information on many issues of forensic anthropological analysis.

For decades, analysis of elemental stable isotopes has offered key anthropological information related to diet. Stable carbon isotopes recovered from human tissues have revealed if diet focused on plants with a C 3 photosynthetic pathway or a C 4 pathway and the herbivores that fed upon them. Analysis of nitrogen isotopes provides insight into the trophic level of human diet. In anthropological studies of ancient populations, such information is crucial to interpretations of dietary and horticultural practices.

Recently, researchers have applied the concepts of isotopic analysis to examine the geographical origin of human remains. When unidentified human remains are recovered in forensic contexts, investigators question if they represent someone who lived in the area of recovery or from somewhere else. This question is especially relevant in cases involving terrorism and unidentified possible migrants. Using a battery of stable isotope analyses, researchers can determine if the isotopic signatures from the unknown match local baseline data. If not, attempts can be made to determine from what geographic area the unknown originated. This exciting new area of forensic science investigation depends on the assemblage of baseline data from appropriate geographic regions.

Forensic anthropologists relate to issues of facial imaging in facial approximation, craniofacial photographic superimposition and interpretations of surveillance images. Facial approximation refers to the process of estimating the living facial image of a person from the evidence presented by a recovered skull. This technique is used to reach out to the public for leads in missing persons that could culminate in identification using other methods.

Craniofacial photographic superimposition involves comparing a facial photograph of a missing person with a recovered skull. This technique is used primarily to exclude when photographs are available of a missing person thought perhaps to be represented by the recovered remains.

Recent research has focused on enhanced use of computers and related technology, as well as targeted efforts to clarify the relationship between soft and hard tissues. Facial approximation continues to represent a blend of art and science; however, recent advances have strengthened the scientific foundation.

Articles in this Special Issue of Forensic Sciences Research focus on overviews of the published literature on these topics. They also share results from the latest innovative research on these key areas of forensic anthropology applications.

Baker   L . Biomolecular applications . In: Blau   S   Ubelaker   DH , editors.   Handbook of forensic anthropology and archaeology . 2nd. ed. New York: Routledge ; 2016 . p. 416 – 429 .

Google Scholar

Google Preview

Kerley   ER . The microscopic determination of age in human bone . Am J Phys Anth . 1965 ; 23 : 149 – 163 .

Email alerts

Citing articles via.

• Advertising and Corporate Services
• Journals Career Network

Affiliations

• Online ISSN 2471-1411
• Print ISSN 2096-1790
• Copyright © 2024 Academy of Forensic Science
• About Oxford Academic
• Publish journals with us
• University press partners
• What we publish
• New features  
• Open access
• Institutional account management
• Rights and permissions
• Get help with access
• Accessibility
• Advertising
• Media enquiries
• Oxford University Press
• Oxford Languages
• University of Oxford

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide

• Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
• Cookie settings
• Cookie policy
• Privacy policy
• Legal notice

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

Boston University Academics

Boston University

• Campus Life
• Schools & Colleges
• Degree Programs
• Search Academics

MS in Forensic Anthropology

The MS in Forensic Anthropology at BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine is designed to train individuals in the theory, practice, and methods of biological and skeletal anthropology employed by forensic anthropologists in medicolegal death investigations. Students will receive extensive training in osteology, forensic anthropological techniques and procedures, forensic anthropology field methods, biological anthropology theory, taphonomy, mortuary archaeology, human anatomy, trauma analysis, crime scene investigation, and methods of human identification.

This full-time, 42-credit Master of Science degree offers students a unique opportunity to apply the principles of anthropology, anatomy, and osteology to establishing biological profiles, excavation of remains, criminal case work, and other scenarios with unidentified remains.

Classes are lecture- and laboratory-based with opportunities for internships and directed studies. Students complete a graduate-level research project that culminates in a full-length thesis.  Resources for student research projects include access to our Outdoor Research Facility and Anatomical Sciences Laboratory, faculty in the Department of Radiology and affiliated faculty at the University of Tennessee, and skeletal collections at other universities and museums. This program is one of the only graduate forensic anthropology programs in a department of anatomy at a major medical center. This setting provides students and faculty access to extensive resources and facilities, including a human gross anatomy laboratory.

Employment and Educational Opportunities for Graduates of This Program

Upon completion of this program, students will be eligible and qualified to continue their education in a PhD program in Anthropology or pursue employment in a variety of settings. Potential employment opportunities for graduates include state medical examiner offices, government or private crime laboratories, law enforcement, or academic settings.

The Boston University Medical Campus contains state-of-the-art lecture halls, seminar rooms, sophisticated computerized teaching labs, and Boston’s largest biomedical research park.

We are happy to answer your questions regarding admissions, eligibility, or curriculum. Please contact us at [email protected] .

Learning Outcomes

Upon graduation from the Forensic Anthropology program, students will have successfully completed the following learning outcomes:

• Developed an awareness of the history and development of the forensic sciences in general and forensic anthropology in particular.
• Established a working knowledge of the biology of bone and its associated tissues as it applies to forensic anthropology.
• Field methods
• Mapping and GIS
• Excavation methods
• Mortuary science
• Comparative anatomy
• Medicolegal principles
• Crime scene investigation techniques
• Expert witness skills
• Trauma analysis
• Obtained practical experience in public speaking and presentation of their ideas and research.
• Mastered the skills in basic scientific method, biostatistics, experimental design, time-management, library skills, annotated bibliography, report writing, professional skills, oral presentations, and thesis writing.
• Each student will design, plan, and execute a research experiment and then write a thesis. Students are encouraged to publish thesis work and to present it at a professional society meeting.

Program Requirements

The Forensic Anthropology Program offers a variety of courses in forensic anthropological techniques and procedures, human anatomy, osteology, pathology, human remains recovery, trauma analysis, death investigation, research design, expert witness testimony, and forensic science. Completion of this program will prepare students to continue their education in a doctoral program, in medical or law school, or in a physician assistant program, and/or work in law enforcement, in crime scene investigation, or as a medicolegal death investigator.

Core Curriculum

Required courses include:

• History, Methods and Theory in Biological Anthropology
• Human Anatomy and Osteology
• Professional Skills and Thesis Research Development
• Special Topics in Forensic Anthropology: Outdoor Crime Scene Awareness
• Forensic Anthropology Techniques
• Experimental Design for Forensic Anthropology
• Research in Anthropology
• Forensic Trauma Analysis
• Mortuary Archaeology
• Advanced Osteology
• Expert Witness Testimony
• Applied Forensic Anthropology

Elective Courses  in Forensic Anthropology

• Bioarchaeology
• Zooarchaeology
• Field Methods in Forensic Anthropology
• Forensic Pathology
• Advanced Crime Scene Investigation

Elective Courses in Anthropology and Archaeology

Students are strongly encouraged to complete selected courses in the departments of Anthropology and Archaeology on the Charles River Campus.

Elective Courses in Biomedical Forensic Sciences

Students may complete certain courses in the Biomedical Forensic Sciences program.

Related Bulletin Pages

• Graduate Medical Sciences Courses
• Abbreviations and Symbols

Beyond the Bulletin

• GMS Admissions
• Financial Assistance
• The Vesalius Certificate
• Anatomy & Neurobiology
• Behavioral Neuroscience
• Biochemistry
• MD/PhD in Bioinformatics
• Biomedical Forensic Sciences
• Biomedical Research Technologies
• Biomedical Sciences (PiBS)
• Clinical Research
• Forensic Anthropology
• Genetic Counseling
• Genetics & Genomics
• Health Care Emergency Management
• Health Professions Education
• Medical Anthropology & Cross-Cultural Practice
• Medical Sciences
• Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine Program
• Microbiology
• Molecular & Translational Medicine
• Neuroscience
• Nutrition & Metabolism
• Oral Biology
• Oral Health Sciences
• Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
• Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics
• Physician Assistant
• Physiology or Biophysics
• Departments
• BU Medical Campus Library
• Graduate Medical Sciences Student Organization (GMSSO)

Terms of Use

Note that this information may change at any time. Read the full terms of use .

related websites

• Graduate Medical Sciences

Accreditation

Boston University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

• © Copyright
• Mobile Version

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Forensics Digest

All about Forensics

Dissertation Topics

Recent dissertation topics in forensic science.

This article serves as a compass, guiding readers through a diverse array of recent dissertation topics that encapsulate the multifaceted nature of forensic research. From digital forensics to forensic psychology, the chosen dissertation topics reflect the evolving challenges and advancements in solving complex legal puzzles. Forensic DNA Analysis: Digital Forensics: Forensic Anthropology: Forensic Toxicology: Forensic […]

How To Choose Your Forensic Science Dissertation or Thesis Topic

If one of your goals or objectives in life is to be admitted to a graduate school or a PhD program, the most important and rather inevitable element is a thesis or dissertation (usually interchangeable), without which, a master’s or a doctoral degree would simply remain a far-fetched idea. A dissertation or a thesis basically […]

Introduction to Forensic Anthropology

Cite this chapter.

• Douglas H. Ubelaker 4  

5113 Accesses

7 Citations

The academic roots of modern forensic anthropology can be traced back to contributions of Europeans, beginning in the 18th century. In particular, Jean-Joseph Sue, Matthieu-Joseph-Bonaventure Orfila, Paul Broca, Paul Topinard, étienne Rollet, Leonce Manouvrier, and Karl Pearson published research on the methodology of stature estimation and related topics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info
• Durable hardcover edition

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Unable to display preview.  Download preview PDF.

Stewart, T. D., Essentials of Forensic Anthropology: Especially as Developed in the United States. Charles C. Thomas Publisher, Springfield, IL, 1979.

Google Scholar  

Snow, C. C. Forensic anthropology. In: Redfield, A., ed., Anthropology Beyond the University, Southern Anthropological Society Proceedings, No. 7. Southern Anthropological Society, Athens, GA, pp. 4–17, 1973.

Sue, J. J. Sur les proportions des squelette de homme, examiné depuis l’âge de plus tendre, jusqu’ B celui de vingt cinq, soixante ans, & audel [in French]. Acad. Sci. Paris Mem Mathemat. Phys. Present. Divers Savants 2:572–585, 1755.

Orfila, M. J. B Leàons de Médicine Légale, 2 vols. [In French.] Béchet Jeune, Paris, 1821–1823.

Orfila M. J. B., Lesueur, O. Traité des exhumations juridiques, et considérations sur les changements physiques que les cadavres éprouvent en se pourrissant dans laterre, dans l’eau, dans les fosses d’aisance et dans le fumier, 2 vols. [In French.] Béchet Jeune, Paris, 1831.

Stewart, T. D. History of physical anthropology. In: Wallace, A. F. C., ed., Perspectiveson Anthropology, 1976. Special publication of the American Anthropology Association, no. 10. American Anthropological Association, Washington, D.C., pp. 70–79, 1977.

Spencer, F. Broca, Paul (Pierre) (1824-1880). In: Spencer, F., ed., History of Physical Anthropology, Vol. 1. Garland, New York, NY, pp. 221–222, 1997.

Topinard, P. élements d’anthropologie générale [in French]. Delahaye & Lecrosnier, Paris, 1885.

Rollet, é. De la mensuration des os longs des membres dans ses rapports avec l’anthropologie, la clinique et la médicine judiciaire [in French]. Lyon, 1889.

Manouvrier, L. La détermination de la taille d’aprés des grands os des membres [inFrench]. Mem. Soc. Anthropol, Paris, 4 Ser. II:347–402, 1893.

Pearson, K. Mathematical contributions to the theory of evolution: on the reconstruction of the stature of prehistoric races. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. 192:169–244, 1899.

Article   Google Scholar  

Schwidetzky, I. Forensic anthropology in Germany. Hum. Biol. 26:1–20, 1954.

PubMed   CAS   Google Scholar  

Rősing, F. W. The forensic relevance of skeletal biology: taxonomy of individuals and kinship reconstruction. In: Bonte, J. W., ed., Advances in Forensic Sciences, Vol. 7: Forensic Ondontology and Anthropology. Kőster, Berlin, pp. 1–5, 1995.

Stewart, T. D. Forensic anthropology. In: Goldschmidt, W., ed., The Uses of Anthropology, Special Publication of the American Anthropology Association, no. 11. American Anthropological Association, Washington, D.C., pp. 169–183, 1979.

Dwight, T. The Identification of the Human Skeleton. A Medico-Legal Study.Boston, 1878.

Dwight, T. The sternum as an index of sex and age. J. Anat. Physiol. Lond 15:327–330, 1881.

CAS   Google Scholar  

Dwight, T. The sternum as an index of sex, height and age. J. Anat. Physiol. Lond 24:527–535, 1890.

Dwight, T. The closure of the cranial sutures as a sign of age. Boston Med. Surg. J. 122:389–392, 1890.

Dwight, T. Methods of estimating the height from parts of the skeleton. Med. Rec. 46:293–296, 1894.

Dwight, T. The range and significance of variations in the human skeleton. Boston Med. Surg. J. 13:361–389, 1894.

Dwight, T. The size of the articular surfaces of the long bones as characteristic of sex:an anthropological study. Am. J. Anat. 4:19–32, 1905.

Ubelaker, D. George Amos Dorsey. In: Garraty, J. A., Carnes, M. C., eds., American National Biography, Vol. 6. Oxford University Press, New York, NY, pp. 764–765, 1999.

Ubelaker, D. H. Ales Hrdlicka’s role in the history of forensic anthropology. J.Forensic Sci. 44:724–730, 1999.

Stewart, T. D. Hrdlicka’s dream of an American institute of physical anthropology. In: Novotn′y, V. V., ed., Proceedings of the 2nd Anthropological Congress dedicated to Dr. Ales Hrdlicka, held in Prague and Humpolec, 3-7 September 1979. Universitas Carolina Pragensis, Praha, pp. 19–21, 1982.

Ubelaker, D. H. The forensic anthropology legacy of T. Dale Stewart(1901-1997). J. Forensic Sci. 45:245–252, 2000.

Ubelaker, D. H. T. Dale Stewart’s perspective on his career as a forensic anthropologist at the Smithsonian. J. Forensic Sci. 45:269–278, 2000.

Ubelaker, D. H. J. Lawrence Angel and the development of forensic anthropology in the United States. In: Buikstra, J. E., ed., A Life in Science: Papers in Honor of J. Lawrence Angel, Scientific Papers 6. Center for American Archeology, Kampsville, IL, pp. 191–200, 1990.

Ubelaker, D. H. Angel, J(ohn) Lawrence (1915-1986). In: Spencer, F., ed., History of Physical Anthropology, Vol. 1. Garland Publishing, New York, NY, pp. 76–77, 1997.

Trotter, M. Estimation of stature from intact long limb bones. In: Stewart, T. D., ed., Personal Identification in Mass Disasters. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., pp. 71–83, 1970.

McKern, T. W., Stewart, T. D. Skeletal Age Changes in Young American Males: Analyzed from the Standpoint of Age Identification, Report No. EP-45. Quartermaster Research and Development Center, Environmental Protection Research Division, Natick, MA, 1957.

Ubelaker, D. H. Contributions of Ellis R. Kerley to forensic anthropology. J. Forensic Sci. 46:773–776, 2001.

Ubelaker, D. H. Skeletons testify: anthropology in forensic science, AAPA luncheon address: April 12, 1996. Yearb. Phys. Anthropol. 39:229–244, 1996.

Buikstra, J. E., King, J. L., Nystrom, K. C. Forensic anthropology and bioarchaeology in the American Anthropologist: rare but exquisite gems. Am. Anthropol. 105:38–52, 2003.

Prieto, J. L., Magaña, C., Ubelaker, D. H. Interpretation of postmortem change in cadavers in Spain. J. Forensic Sci. 49:918–923, 2004.

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Ubelaker, D. H., Smialek, J. E. The interface of forensic anthropology and forensic pathology in trauma interpretation.. In: Steadman, D. W., ed., Hard Evidence, Case Studies in Forensic Anthropology. Prentice Hall, Saddle River, NJ, pp. 155–159, 2003.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution, NMNH, Washington, DC

Douglas H. Ubelaker

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Laboratoire d’Anthropologie des Populations du Passé, Université Bordeaux 1, Talence, France

Aurore Schmitt PhD

Departamento de Antropologia, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

Eugénia Cunha PhD

Serviço Tanatologia Forense, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal, Coimbra, Portugal

João Pinheiro MD, MSci

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2006 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

About this chapter

Ubelaker, D.H. (2006). Introduction to Forensic Anthropology. In: Schmitt, A., Cunha, E., Pinheiro, J. (eds) Forensic Anthropology and Medicine. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-099-7_1

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-099-7_1

Publisher Name : Humana Press

Print ISBN : 978-1-58829-824-9

Online ISBN : 978-1-59745-099-7

eBook Packages : Medicine Medicine (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

• Forensic Anthropology Research Paper

This sample anthropology research paper on forensic anthropology features: 5700 words (approx. 19 pages) and a bibliography with 25 sources. Browse other research paper examples for more inspiration. If you need a thorough research paper written according to all the academic standards, you can always turn to our experienced writers for help. This is how your paper can get an A! Feel free to contact our writing service for professional assistance. We offer high-quality assignments for reasonable rates.

Forensic anthropology involves the identification of an individual. As such, it can be considered a medico-legal subspecialty of both physical anthropology and forensic science. Forensic anthropology focuses on the study of human osteology in order to make a positive identification, while physical anthropology focuses on the study of our species in terms of primate evolution, human genetics, and biological variations. A difference between physical anthropology and forensic anthropology is the age of the human remains. Physical anthropology is interested in all ages, while the focus of forensic anthropology is specific to human remains that are less than 50 years old. A second difference between physical anthropology and forensic anthropology is that while each analyzes human remains, forensic anthropology does so in order to meet a specific objective of identifying the dead through biological characteristics and, if possible, determining the circumstances of unexplained death. Forensic anthropology focuses on differences in the human skeleton to determine specific physical traits, such as age, sex, height, weight, health, anomalies, and ethnic background.

Academic Writing, Editing, Proofreading, And Problem Solving Services

Get 10% off with 24start discount code.

These differences came to light particularly in 1972 when the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) established a physical anthropology section. Membership in this section entailed exclusively forensic applications of anthropology rather than all anthropology in general; the 14 members in 1972 became known as forensic anthropologists. This led to the establishment in 1977 of the American Board of Forensic Anthropology (ABFA) (www.theabfa.org/index.html) with sponsorship by the AAFS and the Forensic Sciences Foundation.

Origin of Forensic Science

Forensic sciences were practiced before they were identified as forensic anthropology or even forensic science. Forensic science was first documented in France in 1910 with Dr. Edmond Locard’s establishment of a center where scientists studying biology, physics, and medicine came together to examine evidence for criminal investigations. This group analyzed materials and shared resources in an attempt to reconstruct crime scenes. Eventually known as a criminalistics laboratory, or crime lab, this model was followed in 1914 by the city of Montreal. The center in Montreal followed Locard’s philosophy, called Locard’s exchange principle, the foundation of the field of forensic science. Montreal’s center was run by a physician and thus became known as a medicolegal lab, a subspecialty of medicine. The structure of this model lab became popular, and in 1923, the first lab based on this model was established in the United States by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. In 1932, the newly established Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) set up its own lab, which could be accessed nationwide, although unlike the lab in France, contributions were minimal from different areas of science such as biology, chemistry, and physics.

Over the last 100 years, physical anthropologists have assisted with medico-legal investigations. Many physical anthropologists, especially from the Smithsonian Institute, acted as advisors to medico-legal officials through published articles and law enforcement bulletins during the 1930s and 1940s. In the 1960s, Lawrence Angel joined the Smithsonian staff and continued as a consultant for the FBI, including the launching of a training program for the forensic applications of skeletal biology.

Forensic Anthropology

The need for forensic anthropology.

There are five main objectives in forensic anthropology: (1) Determine ancestry, sex, age, and living height; (2) attempt to identify the nature and causative agent if evidence of traumatic injury to human bone exists; (3) render a determination of postmortem interval; (4) assist in locating and recovering remains so that all evidence relevant to a forensic investigation is recovered; (5) provide information useful in obtaining a positive identification of deceased persons (Byers, 2002, p. 1).

Forensic anthropology is needed to restore names and identities to unknown human remains from murder, mass disaster, or other found human remains. Forensic anthropologists assist both in the identification of bones and also in the recovery of bodies. Besides identifying the bones, forensic anthropologists also analyze trauma to the bone in order to gain necessary knowledge on the cause and manner of death. Nafte (2000) asserted that identifying remains may actually prevent the time and expense of a large-scale legal investigation. Forensic anthropologists not only process and analyze human remains in a laboratory but also are called on to assist in locating and recovering remains as well as to interpret any ante-, peri-, or postmortem (pre, during, or after death) movements or modifications of the remains.

Development of Forensic Anthropology

Forensic anthropology can be divided into three time periods, according to Rhine (1998): formative (early 1800s–1938), consolidation (1939–1971), and modern (1972 onward). Prior to the 1970s, those physical anthropologists working particularly with the medico-legal and forensic aspects of anthropology had no official name. The father of American forensic anthropology is Thomas Dwight, a Harvard anatomy professor in the late 19th century who published The Identification of the Human Skeleton, a Medicolegal Study in 1878. In his book, Dwight discussed how an examination of human bones could lead to the determination of gender and stature of the remains.

During the formative period (early 1800s–1938), one of the first known cases occurred. In 1849, Dr. Jeffries Wyman of Harvard University identified human remains in order to help solve the death of a prominent Boston-area doctor, George Parkman. In this case, Dr. John White Webster, a colleague of Dr. Wyman, was accused of the murder based on evidence that on November 23, 1849, Parkman went to claim money owed to him by Webster. This date was the last time anyone saw Parkman alive. Less than a week later, a janitor at the Harvard Medical School called the police on discovery of what appeared to be human remains in a stone vault underneath Webster’s office. While officers suspected these approximately 150 bones, some of which were burned, and set of false teeth belonged to Parkman, the police left it up to a team of doctors and dentists to prove it in court. On examination, the doctors were able to testify that these remains matched a person of Parkman’s age, build, and height. Three hours of deliberation led to a guilty verdict for Webster.

More forensic anthropological activity was recorded during the consolidation period (1939–1971), such as the identification of servicemen killed on the battlefields during World War II and the Korean War. The work of the physical anthropologists called on by the United States Army during World War II for the identification of skeletal remains for repatriation led to the establishment of the Central Identification Laboratory (CIL) at the Hickman Air Force Base in Hawaii in 1947.

The third, or modern period, which began approximately 20 years ago, is when the application of forensic anthropology to the investigation of human rights violations increased dramatically, mostly due to the reinstatement of democratic governments along with higher levels of public awareness and social action. Requests for such action have been from countries such as those in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. One team in particular demand is the Forensic Anthropology Team of Argentina (EAAF), which has established its own precedent by becoming involved in other missions worldwide; this team is very much in demand due to their expertise, particularly in presenting evidence for war tribunals.

Methods in Forensic Anthropology

The process of forensic anthropology can be described, according to Mercedes Doretti of the EAAF, as three parts: interviews, excavation, and analysis (Burns, 1999). However, interviews are less likely to be conducted by forensic anthropologists as the bones are often already decomposed and witnesses are not easily located. In addition, many forensic anthropologists prefer to work with as little preconceived knowledge as possible to avoid tainting their conclusions and findings. The three parts identified by Doretti can be redefined into two types of methods: data gathering (interviews and excavation) and data analysis (analysis). The data is gathered from skeletal remains, while the analysis answers questions posed by forensic-anthropology protocol.

Data Gathering

Data is gathered using four techniques: anthroposcopic, osteometric, chemical, and histological. Anthroposcopic data is gathered visually, including through the use of X-rays, and involves such characteristics as ancestry, sex, age, and stature. Osteometric data involves the measurement of human bone on an objective scale using calipers or an osteometric board in an attempt to quantify many of the anthroposcopic characteristics. Chemical data is gathered through the examination of chemical makeup of certain structures of the skeleton, including mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and associated matter such as the ground beneath the skeleton. Histological data is gathered through the study of the microstructure of teeth and bone.

Data Analysis

There are five methods to analyze the data from the skeleton: decision table, range chart, index, discriminant function, and regression equation. The last two methods come from statistics.

A decision table helps the researcher judge the importance of conflicting information to arrive at a single conclusion. In a decision table, options are listed across the top of the table, while characteristics for determining these options are listed down the left-hand side. A forensic anthropologist marks the columns where characteristics observed indicate agreement with the option at the top. The name of the column (option) with the most marks is the one most likely to be correct.

A range chart provides multiple ranges of estimates so that a central tendency can be determined. To use a range chart, a forensic anthropologist charts the ranges of features observed. Where the most overlap on the chart occurs is the data range that is most likely to be correct. These are particularly useful for parameters in which multiple sources of data are encountered such as time since death and age at death.

An index is a method to standardize skeletal measures for two dimensions. This method was developed so that numerical expressions of the shape of a structure can be compared between two groups. An index is a simple yet powerful statistical method for quantifying anthroposcopic traits. When two measurements express visually identifiable characteristics, the forensic anthropologist will divide one into the other, multiple the quotient by 100, and arrive at an index.

A discriminant function is a method for calculating a numerical expression of shape that can be used when more than two measurements are available. A forensic anthropologist would use a discriminant function whenever there are discrete categories to determine to assist in distinguishing between two or more predetermined groups. These might consist of gender or hair color.

A regression equation is a method by which one value can be predicted from the values of other measurements.

While regression equations are included in the five methods to analyze data from skeletons, these are often incorrect because they do not account for the increasingly unknown nature of points away from the middle line of a set of values, and they do not consider that other samples might yield other values.

Facial Reconstruction

Facial reconstruction is a subset of the methods of forensic anthropology. In facial reconstruction, the forensic anthropologist works to recreate the facial characteristics to assist in identification. This is considered a last resort, one to use only if a search of missing persons’ files has not revealed a potential match. Traditionally, this was done manually by molding and casting the original skull, applying spacers to indicate the amount of tissue thickness at various places on the facial skeleton, and filling in the areas between and around these spacers. Today, preferably, computer software is used to produce faces on images of the skull. However, in other cases, artists drawings, restoration of disrupted or damaged tissue put back on the skull, or photo/portrait superimposition is also used. There are still problems found by forensic anthropologists and other practitioners such as predicting individual characteristics not apparent on the skull regardless of the method used.

There are three software programs commonly used: CARES (computer assisted reconstruction and enhancement system), FACE (composite picture software), and Faces (face recognition software); each of which uses radiographs or photographs of faces or skulls, which are then digitized. Using banks of stored features from both cadavers and living samples using magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) and computerized tomography (CT) scans, a face is then electronically restored or reconstructed.

Human Skeleton

Forensic anthropologists should be familiar with every feature of the human skeleton, including the range of variation between individuals and the differences between human and nonhuman bones. The familiarity is needed to assist in the critical matter of identifying human skeletal remains. The bones to be familiar with include the 29 bones of the head (cranium, inner ear, mandible, and hyoid) and the 177 bones of the postcranial skeleton below the head. This number varies, however, based on age and other circumstances, all of which the forensic anthropologist needs to be aware of. In particular, a child’s skeleton will have more bones since not all bones found in a younger body will have fused together to create the bones found in the adult skeleton. Forensic anthropologists need to be familiar with the landmarks and features, growth and development of each of these bones and their components to help determine age and other characteristics of the skeleton.

The postcranial skeleton can be further subdivided into the torso and limbs. The torso includes the ribs, vertebra, scapulae, clavicles, sternum, pelvis, and sacrum. The limbs include the arms (the humerus, radius, ulna) and legs (the femur, tibia, and fibula). The pelvis, composed of three portions (ilium, ischium, and pubis), contains information critical to determination of age at death or gender in adults.

When referring to bones in the human skeleton, it is necessary to use specific terminology to assist others in locating the same bones one is referencing. This is done by thinking of the skeleton standing (or lying on its back) with arms at the sides, palms forward, and thumbs to the outside. This position was chosen, in part, due to the fact that in this position none of the bones cross each other, and it is possible to consistently describe the relationships between bones (Adams, 2007).

Identification Process

Identification occurs after the forensic anthropologist has gathered all of the data and analyzed this data through various methods. The identification is rarely definitive but rather provides a guide or range from which identification can be drawn. As time passes, modeling and remodeling of bones within the skeleton records events in the person’s life such as growth, disease, and environmental change, providing a lasting record of past events, lifestyle habits, and occupational stress. Earlier in life, generally within the first three decades of life, the growth and maturation of the human skeleton is most reliable for its relation to the time and sequence of age change as it relates to sex and race differences.

Definitive identification is rare based solely on the skeleton as there are external factors that can affect the records stored in the bones, for example, nutritional deficiencies, diseases, medications, pathological conditions, anomalies, and more. The markers on the bones indicating occupational stress provide an additional means of identifying a person from a skeleton, which is particularly helpful in aiding law enforcement officials in their search for a missing person. The most important details in the identification of an individual person occur in the head: eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

How Bones Change

Though living bone is mainly inorganic, it is a dynamic tissue that is capable of responding to a wide variety of stimuli. As such, it is in a constant state of change. Modeling is the change, or growth and development, of living bone that takes place from approximately the third intrauterine month to approximately 25 to 30 years of age. Remodeling, or changes in the density, shape, and size of bone, takes place throughout the person’s life. Remodeling is due to factors such as aging, exercise, diet, injury, trauma, disease, and occupational stress. In particular, there can be lesions due to occupational stress. These lesions manifest in four ways: modifications to areas of insertion, osteophytosis, discrete markers, and stress fractures.

The forensic anthropologist needs to be aware of the different responses of bone to stress during and after life. The type and patterning of a fracture can help establish the sequence of damage to skeletal material.

The forensic anthropologist can estimate the age of the decedent through knowledge of changes to the skeleton that occur both during growth and deterioration. There are several methods to determine age at death that require special instruments such as cortical bone loss, counts of bone histological structures, and the Gustafson method on teeth. Byers (2002) asserted that the “methods for determining age are not accurate enough to be usable in forensic situations” (p. 192) although the age for individuals under the age of 12 years is said to be estimable from the lengths of the long bones combined with the development and eruption of teeth and fusion of primary and secondary ossification centers. In adolescents, the forensic anthropologist can also estimate the age of the skeleton at death through the amount of union in various epiphyses. In adults, the forensic anthropologist needs to be aware of changes in pubic face, auricular surface, the sternal ends of ribs, and the amount of suture closure in the skull. In general, the age of a skeleton is more accurately determined the younger the decedent was at time of death.

In determining gender, the statistics are generally higher than for most other characteristics. There is a 50% chance of a correct guess without other information available. The pelvis is where the strongest and most accurate indication of male versus female is found as the pelvis of a woman is generally broader than that of a male. When examining the pelvis, particular attention should be paid to the bone of the anterior pelvic area (the pubis) as the lower margin of the pubis forming the border of the subpubic angle is wider in a female than a male. This margin is determined using the ischium-pubic index, the only commonly used metric method for distinguishing sexes. If the pubis is missing, then the skull difference can assist in determining the gender, but there is a certain amount of overlap in the middle of the size differences.

The stature of a skeleton is determined by adding together the measurements of many bones in the skeleton. It is very important to obtain as many bones as possible and to correctly identify each bone. The bones measured to determine the stature include the skull and the combined heights of the vertebrae, the femur and tibia, and articulated calcaneous. Although it is less accurate, forensic anthropologists commonly calculate stature based on the lengths of the long limb bones solely: the humerus, ulna, radius, femur, tibia, and fibula. Because it has been documented that persons lose stature with age, estimates of living heights among persons determined to be 45 years or older at death need to be adjusted downward.

Race/Ancestry

When determining the race or ancestry of a skeleton, the forensic anthropologist depends on the skull. The skull has the most traits to use in determining the race or ancestry. Without a skull, there are a limited number of postcranial skeleton traits to use. This categorization is often the most difficult and least precise due to problems of inconsistency between racial categories. Forensic anthropologists depend on the categories for race/ancestry most widely used by law enforcement agencies: Caucasian, African, Asian, Native American, and Hispanic.

When examining the skeleton, the forensic anthropologist often can estimate the handedness of the decedent by comparing the right- and left-upper-limb bones. The side with the largest and most modified bones is generally the dominant side.

Basis of Examination and Evaluation to Identify the Dead

Krogman and Iscan (1986) provided a guideline that forensic anthropologists follow today when examining and evaluating to identify the dead. Krogman and Iscan suggest beginning with “the big four”—stature, age at time of death, sex, and race/ethnicity. Once this information is determined as well as possible, the forensic anthropologist should then continue with the “accessory” information— weight/body build, duration of interment, cause of death if registered in the bones, and a final registry of miscellaneous details of individuality to assist in identifying the decedent such as fractures, amputations, and so on.

The Human Genome (DNA)

The human genome provides the ability to chart any person’s genetic makeup. However, particularly for forensic anthropologists, this is not always possible to obtain. When it is obtainable, often it is the forensic biologist who processes the DNA, not the forensic anthropologist. The human genome, or DNA, is, according to Bass and

Jefferson (2007), the “gold standard” for making a positive identification. However, they note, this is not always the fastest or most efficient method to obtain a positive identification. There are still older methods that are much faster and more affordable than DNA testing. Advances in the analysis of DNA extraction from archaeological bone allows for personal identification. However, the DNA preserved from crime scenes or other evidence may be affected by human errors that will affect the quality of the DNA, degrade the DNA, or be in minute quantities. As the DNA falls apart due to degradation, the pieces become smaller and smaller, which causes DNA analysis to become harder and harder.

Newer DNA analysis is based on DNA (such as mitochondria) that is not located in the cell’s nucleus as it was in the past. Cells have organs just as bodies do; these organs are called organelles, existing in the cell but outside of the nucleus. Select organelles have their own packets of DNA, such as the mitochondria. This DNA, called mtDNA, is carried on the mother’s side and survives in numerous quantities in hairs, bone, and teeth, according to Houck (2007).

Other Evidence

Other evidence gathered can be from the location itself, scraps of clothing or human remains beyond the skeleton, and interviews with people. In collecting evidence through interviews, one needs to be sensitive to the culture of those being addressed as this can vary from place to place, culture to culture, and country to country.

Collecting Evidence

There are four major steps in collecting evidence: location, mapping, excavation (if needed), and retrieval. The forensic anthropologist is not always involved with these steps although it is helpful and often time and cost saving to have the forensic anthropologist involved from the start rather than relying on the findings of others. Locating the remains is the first step of the process. Next is mapping, which includes drawings, photographs, videos, and other methods of recording the location and the process itself from locating to retrieving to relocating the remains to the forensic anthropologist’s laboratory. The excavation includes searching and collecting the bones and other materials considered necessary for the forensic anthropologist’s work, while the retrieval includes packing and transporting the materials to the forensic anthropologist’s laboratory.

It is helpful, from the start, to make an inventory of what is found. This inventory will help establish the number of sets of human remains. If there is more than one left femur, other limb bones, or skulls, then this is a general indication of collocation (arrangement) of more than one human skeleton, or commingling. Additional vertebra, ribs, or sesamoid bones (bones that grow in tendons) are not indicators of commingling as it is not abnormal for an individual to have one or more of these. The recording of the process, along with the proper usage of methods of collection and retrieval, will enhance the reliability and success with which the case can be resolved.

Interpreting and Applying Evidence

When interpreting evidence to assist in making an identification, attempts made by humans to disguise or destroy remains can cause problems. Problems can also be caused by any other postmortem damage from a number of sources, including human dismemberment to prevent identification or to show disregard for the victim, and nonhuman animals; heat such as fire; and weathering, burial, and water. The effects of fire include charring, cracking, discoloration, warping, and shrinkage, while weathering—due mainly to sunlight—manifests itself through cracking and warping. Burial has similar effects to weathering and low-temperature burning, whereas water causes abrading and scattering of skeletal elements. The overlap of effects can also cause problems in interpretation for cause of death or postmortem damage that has occurred.

There are three types of bone disease (deformative, lytic, and proliferative) as well as four types of skeletal anomalies (accessory ossicles, nonfusion anomalies, accessory foramina, and miscellaneous anomalies) that the forensic anthropologist needs to be aware of to better help determine what has happened to a bone.

One of the main interpretations by the forensic anthropologist is the manner of death, or the manner in which a person died. There are five recognized manners of death: homicide, suicide, accident, natural, and unknown. It is the forensic anthropologist’s job to avoid as much as possible an unknown cause of death, unless there is insufficient evidence to prove one of the other four manners of death.

While determining the type of bone injury, the forensic anthropologist should also attempt to determine the timing of the bone injury: during life, or antemortem trauma; around the time of death, or perimortem trauma; or damage done after death, or postmortem damage. This timing will help establish if the bone trauma discovered is the cause of death.

The bones can tell a lot about the cause of death. There are four types of bone trauma that can indicate the type of death: blunt, sharp, projectile, and miscellaneous. In the analysis of a blunt force bone trauma, the forensic anthropologist must start with a complete description of the injury, including the type (fracture or infraction), the bone affected, which side of the bone, and the placement in the bone of the injury. Next, the forensic anthropologist should attempt to determine the size, shape, and weight of the causative instrument. Of particular note, a fracture of the hyoid bone is the main osteological consequence of death by strangulation, which is caused by hanging, ligature, or manual strangulation. Sharp trauma results from narrowly focused dynamic compression forces applied to the surface of a bone, such as evidenced in punctures, incisions, and clefts. A projectile bone trauma needs to be analyzed by a forensic anthropologist who understands a number of characteristics of firearms and ammunition such as size (e.g., caliber gauge), velocity, and bullet construction. The forensic anthropologist, when examining a gunshot wound to the bone, should also determine, to the best of his or her ability and knowledge, the causative weapon, the placement of the firearm, and any other information that can be accurately determined.

The forensic anthropologist should create a report that is stated clearly. The report should be generated after careful examination, research, and reflection and based on notes taken throughout the process. The length of time it takes to create a report depends on the complexity of the case. Regardless, the forensic anthropologist’s report should provide as much detail and precise data as possible at the time of writing, although modifications for further clarification can be made if needed. This report “records physical observations on the remains, identifies important biological characteristics, and identifies and differentiates changes in the remains due to natural and cultural forces” in a way that is understandable to the medico-legal officer in charge (Pickering & Bachman, 1997, p. 35). The report should be presented in two parts. The first part of the report should be approximately one page in length and should briefly describe the results in a readable form to the nonforensic anthropologist and include a description of methods used and discuss details of the results obtained from the analysis.

The second part of the report consists of six sections. Part 1 presents background, including names, dates, and places as they apply to the case, including how the forensic anthropologist was summoned, what was done prior to the summoning of the forensic anthropologist, and who was present during the analyses. In Part 2, the general condition of soft tissue that is present and the state of preservation of osteological material along with any photos of the body, which are included as an appendix to the report, can be referenced here. Part 3 is a complete inventory of osteological and odontological remains, including the number of individuals present. Part 4 presents each of the four aspects of demography (ancestry, sex, age at death, and stature) in separate subsections that fully describe how these characteristics were determined. Part 5 explains antemortem, perimortem, and postmortem injuries using photographs, line drawings, and other supportive material. Part 6 includes any recommendations for further testing outside the realm of the forensic anthropologist, which can include searches of missing persons’ files or the names of ethnic enclaves to approach for information on the decedent. Appendices can include supportive photographs and tables.

Expert Witness

1948 was the turning point in the United States for the forensic anthropologist to be accepted by the legal system as an expert witness. Today, forensic anthropologists are being asked to offer expert testimony for both prosecuting and defense attorneys.

A biological profile is the information presented by the forensic anthropologist as testimony in a court of law. The human skeleton or other human remains are not part of an exhibit in a court of law. Therefore, a well-documented analysis or conclusion with verbal testimony, written statements, photographs, and slides are the supporting facts and exhibits in the court of law.

The forensic anthropologist must always be certain, whether in the report or when testifying as an expert witness, to present the data and opinion honestly. Particularly in court, this must be done so as to ensure that the judicial process is not affected by the forensic anthropologist’s pre-

sentation of the data and opinion. It is imperative for the forensic anthropologist to differentiate between evidence or data and opinion or interpretation. This evidence-opinion dichotomy is one of the most important distinctions for a forensic anthropologist to make before presenting findings for others’ use.

There are three types of opinions a forensic anthropologist may form: speculation, possible, and probable. Speculation is based on few or no data and should be given only if specifically asked and never in a written form. A possible opinion is one that is based on a characteristic or event that is possible but is too unlikely to be taken seriously. A probable opinion is one with the highest level of certainty,

Ongoing Advances in Modern Forensic Anthropology

In 1986, the Forensic Anthropology Data Bank was created at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville to help identify the race or ancestry of a skeleton. The Forensic Anthropology Data Bank contains measurements and observations of thousands of individual skeletons analyzed in forensic cases and from museum collections. This vast data helps the forensic anthropologist to detect previously unrealized subtleties. This data bank is the foundation for FORDISC, a computer tool that analyzes these subtleties to confirm or challenge an anthropologist’s findings. FORDISC enables the user to enter measurements from a current case to help estimate sex, ancestry, and stature.

Forensic anthropology has become used more for identifying victims of current disasters, such as 9/11, and mass disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes. Forensic anthropology has also become used more and more as a way to gather evidence of victims who can no longer speak, those who are dead—such as in cases of human rights violations worldwide. Forensic anthropologists are stepping outside serving not only the community in which they work but also serving internationally, traveling to large-scale conflicts to work with governments.

Future Use of Forensic Anthropology

Forensic anthropologists are being called on more and more to assist in the identification of victims of homicides, mass disasters, and political atrocities (Camenson, 2001). As the methods to identify human remains become more accurate and exacting, older cases will be reopened for further analysis by forensic anthropologists to assist in solving cold cases.

Bibliography:

• Adams, B. J. (2007). Forensic anthropology. Inside forensic science series. New York: Chelsea House.
• American Board of Forensic Anthropology. (2008). Available at http://www.theabfa.org/index.html
• Bass, B., & Jefferson, J. (2007). Beyond the body farm: A legendary bone detective explores murders, mysteries, and the revolution in forensic science. New York: William Morrow.
• Birx, H. J. (2006). Forensic anthropology. In H. J. Birx (Ed.), Encyclopedia of anthropology (Vol. 2, pp. 366–367). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Burns, K. R. (1999). Forensic anthropology training manual. Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
• Byers, S. N. (2002). Introduction to forensic anthropology: A textbook. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
• Camenson, B. (2001). Opportunities in forensic science careers. Lincolnwood, IL: VCM Career Books.
• Chamberlain, A. (1994). Human remains [Interpreting the Past Series]. Berkeley: University of California Press.
• El-Najjar, M. Y., & McWilliams, K. R. (1978). Forensic anthropology: The structure, morphology, and variation of human bone and dentition. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.
• Haglund, W. D., & Sorg, M. H. (2002). Advances in forensic taphonomy, method, theory, and archaeological perspectives. Washington, DC: CRC Press.
• Houck, M. M. (2007). Forensic science: Modern methods of solving crime. Westport, CT: Praeger.
• Jackson, D. M. (1996). The bone detectives: How forensic anthropologists solve crimes and uncover mysteries of the dead. Boston: Little, Brown.
• Joyce, C., & Stover, E. (1991). Witnesses from the grave: The stories bones tell. Boston: Little, Brown.
• Krogman, W. M. (1941). Growth of man. The Hague, the Netherlands: W. Junk.
• Krogman, W. M., & Iscan, M. Y. (1986). The human skeleton in forensic medicine (2nd ed.). Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.
• Manheim, M. H. (2005). Trail of bones: More cases from the files of a forensic anthropologist. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press.
• Morse, D., Duncan, J., & Stoutamire, J. (Eds.). (1884). Handbook of forensic archaeology and anthropology. Tallahassee: Florida State University Foundation.
• Nafte, M. (2000). Flesh and bone: An introduction to forensic anthropology. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press.
• Pickering, R. B., & Bachman, D. C. (1997). The use of forensic anthropology. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
• Reichs, K. J. (Ed.). (1986). Forensic osteology: Advances in the identification of human remains. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.
• Rhine, S. (1998). Bone voyage: A journey in forensic anthropology. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.
• Schmitt, A., Cunha, E., & Pinheiro, J. (Eds.). (2006). Forensic anthropology and medicine: Complementary sciences from recovery to cause of death. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press.
• Stewart, T. D. (1979). Essentials of forensic anthropology: Especially as developed in the United States. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.
• Ubelaker, D. (2004). Forensic anthropology. In C. R. Ember & M. Ember (Eds.), Encyclopedia of medical anthropology: Health and illness in the world’s cultures (pp. 37–42). New York: Kluwer Academic.
• Ubelaker, D., & Scammell, H. (1992). Bones: A forensic detective’s casebook. New York: Edward Burlingame Books.

More Anthropology Research Paper Examples:

Anthropology Research Paper

• Agency and Practice Theory Research Paper
• Ancient Civilizations Research Paper
• Anthropology of Africa Research Paper
• Anthropology of Amazonia Research Paper
• Anthropology of India Research Paper
• Anthropology of Polynesia Research Paper
• Australian Aborigines Research Paper
• Biological Anthropology Research Paper
• Caribbean Anthropology Research Paper
• Communication and Symbolism Research Paper
• Cosmology and Mythology Research Paper
• Enlightenment and Secularism Research Paper
• Ethnography and Ethnology Research Paper
• European Anthropology Research Paper
• Feminist Anthropology Research Paper
• Fossil Primates Research Paper
• Geology and Anthropology Research Paper
• German Anthropology Research Paper
• Hominids Research Paper
• Human Adaptations Research Paper
• Human Brain Research Paper
• Human Development Research Paper
• Human Excellence Research Paper
• Ideology and Anthropology Research Paper
• Infectious Diseases and Anthropology Research Paper
• Inuit Anthropology Research Paper
• Iroquoian Peoples Research Paper
• Kinship Systems Research Paper
• Magic and Science Research Paper
• Marxist Anthropology Research Paper
• Mass Media and Anthropology Research Paper
• Medical Anthropology Research Paper
• Open and Closed Societies Research Paper
• Paleontology and Anthropology Research Paper
• Paleopathology and Anthropology Research Paper
• Peasant Societies Research Paper
• Political Organizations Research Paper
• Primate Behavior Studies Research Paper
• Primate Extinction and Conservation Research Paper
• Primate Locomotion Research Paper
• Race and Racism Research Paper
• Rank, Status, and Role Research Paper
• Social Relationships Research Paper
• Storytelling Research Paper
• Theoretical Anthropology Research Paper
• Twin Studies Research Paper
• Values and Anthropology Research Paper
• Visual Anthropology Research Paper
• Witchcraft and Sorcery Research Paper

ORDER HIGH QUALITY CUSTOM PAPER

MS in Forensic Anthropology

loading slideshow...

full-time | in-person

Boston university medical campus, program overview.

This full-time forensic anthropology program offers students a unique opportunity to apply the principles of anthropology, anatomy and osteology to establish biological profiles, excavation of remains, criminal case work and other scenarios with unidentified remains.

Through our comprehensive curriculum and research requirements, students receive extensive training in:

• Forensic anthropological techniques and procedures
• Forensic anthropology field methods
• Biological anthropology theory
• Human anatomy
• Crime scene investigation
• Methods of human identification

Mission Statement

The mission of the Forensic Anthropology Program is to provide an in-depth and innovative education to all students that includes a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary and extensive curriculum.  We promote professionalism, leadership, and service in our students.

Our program is one of the only graduate forensic anthropology programs in the United States that is part of a department of anatomy at a major medical center. This setting provides students and faculty access to extensive resources and facilities, including our outdoor research facility and human gross anatomy laboratory.

Classes are lecture and laboratory based with hands-on experience with various skeletal samples. Students complete a graduate level research project that culminates into a full-length thesis or a completed manuscript for submission . Numerous research opportunities are available to students including access to our outdoor research facility, collaboration with the department of radiology, access to skeletal collections at Boston University School of Medicine and other institutions, universities and museums and the availability of of anatomical sciences laboratory.

Boston University Medical Center contains:

• state of the art lecture halls
• seminar rooms
• sophisticated computerized teaching labs
• Boston’s largest biomedical research park

Thanks to our close affiliation with the MS in Biomedical Forensic Sciences , students have the opportunity to pursue training in multiple areas of forensic sciences.

Graduate Outcomes

Graduates will be qualified to continue their graduate education in a doctoral program and/or to be employed in the field of forensic anthropology.

• How It Works
• PhD thesis writing
• Master thesis writing
• Bachelor thesis writing
• Dissertation writing service
• Dissertation abstract writing
• Thesis proposal writing
• Thesis editing service
• Thesis proofreading service
• Thesis formatting service
• Coursework writing service
• Research paper writing service
• Architecture thesis writing
• Computer science thesis writing
• Engineering thesis writing
• History thesis writing
• MBA thesis writing
• Nursing dissertation writing
• Psychology dissertation writing
• Sociology thesis writing
• Statistics dissertation writing
• Buy dissertation online
• Write my dissertation
• Cheap thesis
• Cheap dissertation
• Custom dissertation
• Dissertation help
• Pay for thesis
• Pay for dissertation
• Senior thesis
• Write my thesis

195 Top Anthropology Topics For Great Thesis

Anthropology is one of the most interesting disciplines that you can pursue at the university level. The whole idea of exploring everything known about human beings, from their origins to evolution, is pretty exciting.

However, the study requires preparing multiple assignments, which can be pretty challenging because you need a deep understanding of biology, history, and culture. The first step, which is even more stressful when preparing an anthropology paper, is selecting the right topic. So, we are here to help.

In this post, we have a list of the best anthropology topics that you can use to get good grades. To help you increase the chances of scoring the best grade in your paper, we have also included a comprehensive guide on how to write your paper like a pro.

What Is Anthropology?

Anthropology is the study of humanity, and it is concerned about human biology, behavior, societies, cultures and linguistics in the past and present. The discipline stretches back to the study of past human species. Because of its broad nature, it is broken down into a number of units, with each focusing on a specific area:

Social anthropology: Focuses on patterns of human behavior. Cultural anthropology: This branch mainly focuses on culture, including values and norms in the society. Linguistic anthropology: Unlike the other two, this branch of anthropology targets determining how language impacts people’s lives. Biological anthropology: This branch focuses on studying the biological development of humans. Archaeological anthropology: This branch of anthropology is concerned with investigating humans in the past. In some jurisdictions, such as Europe, it is considered a full discipline like geography or history.

How To Write Best Quality Anthropology Research Paper

When your professors issue anthropology research paper prompts, one of the questions that you might have is, “how do I write a high level paper?” Here are the main steps that you can use to write a great college paper.

Step One: Understand the Assignment The biggest mistake that you can make is starting an assignment without understanding what it entails. So, read the prompt carefully and grasp what is needed. For example, does your teacher want a qualitative or quantitative research paper? For masters and graduate students, it might be a quantitative anthropology dissertation. Step Two: Select the Preferred Research Paper Topic The topic that you select is very important, and it is advisable to go for the title that is interesting to you. Furthermore, the topic should have ample resources to help you complete the paper smoothly. If there are no books, journals, and other important resources to prepare the paper, there is a risk of getting stuck midway. Once you select the topic, carry preliminary research to gather key points that you will use to prepare the paper. However, these points are not final and will need to get updated along the way. Step Three: Develop Your Research Paper Outline An outline defines the structure of the paper. It makes further research and preparing the paper pretty straightforward. Also, it eliminates the risk of forgetting important bits of the research paper. To make the paper more informative, make sure to add supportive information progressively. Step Four: Write the Thesis Statement of Your Paper The thesis statement of a paper is your stand about the topic that you are writing about. The statement comes in the introduction but will further be restated in conclusion. The information you present on the research paper will approve or disapprove your thesis statement. Step Five: Write the Draft Paper After gathering the information about the topic, it is time to get down and prepare the first draft. So, strictly follow the prepared outline to craft a good paper, starting with the introduction to the conclusion. If you are writing a dissertation, it might be good to tell your supervisor about the progress. Remember that a dissertation is more comprehensive than a research paper. To write a dissertation, you should start with the introduction, followed by the literature review, research methods, results, discussion, and finally, conclusion. Step Six: Write the Final Paper After finishing the draft, it is time to refine it further and make the work exceptional. Therefore, you might want to go through more resources to establish if there is anything more helpful to add. Finally, edit your paper and proofread the paper. You might also want to ask a friend to help with proofreading to identify mistakes that might have skipped your eye.

Next, we will highlight the leading anthropology topics that you should consider. So, pick the preferred one or tweak it a little to suit your needs.

Top 20 Anthropology Paper Topics

• How does the environment impact the color of a person?
• The advantages and disadvantages of eugenics in the 21st century.
• A closer look at the aging process in the western culture.
• What are the implications of physical labor on the physique of a person?
• Define the relationship between Kyphosis to human senescence
• Does smoking impact the appearance of a human being?
• Death caused by drowning: How to determine it through examination of physical and anatomical evidence.
• Existence of Homo Habilis is supported by modern facts.
• Compare two theories that explain the origins of human beings.
• A review of key beliefs about human body preservation in ancient Egypt.
• The role played by storytelling in different cultures.
• Applying anthropology as forensic science.
• Heroes in society.
• Closed societies.
• Emergency of terrorism into a culture.
• Feminism application in different cultures.
• A review of the concept of wellness in different cultures.
• What role does literature play in human development?
• Analyzing conflicts in Latin American and Asian cultures.
• Genetic engineering and anthropology: How are they related?

Interesting Anthropology Topics

• Investigating how religious beliefs impact the Hispanic cultures.
• A review of the evolution of sexual discrimination.
• The impact of culture on same sex marriages: A case study of LGBT community in France.
• A closer look at racism in modern societies.
• Causes of homelessness among the Hispanic communities.
• Causes and effects of homelessness among the Indian people in Asia.
• Comparing the strategies adopted to deal with homelessness in the US and India.
• Cultural anthropology and political science: How are they related?
• Identify and review two most important organizations when it comes to advancing anthropology.
• Peru’s Quechua people.
• Contemporary policy and environmental anthropology.
• What influences human social patterns?
• A review of the impact of western culture on indigenous people in North America.
• Analyzing the caste systems and ranking in societies.
• A review of ancient Roman culture.
• The evolution of the human ear.
• Comparing the evolution of man to the evolution of birds.
• What is the origin of modern humans?
• A closer look at the main issues in female circumcision.

Biological Anthropology Research Paper Topics

• Exploring the meaning of biological anthropology and its application in different fields.
• Analyzing how primatologists use primates to understand human evolution.
• How paleontologists use fossil records for anthropological comparisons.
• Biological anthropology: How does it explain human behavior development?
• Identify and review top geographical locations where anthropologists do their work: Why are these locations so important?
• Define the connection between social sciences and biological anthropology.
• The evolution of the primate diet.
• Analyzing the evolution of tapetum lucidum.
• A closer look at the extinction of giant lemurs in Madagascar.
• Human resistance to drugs: Human pathogen coevolution.
• How to determine the age of an animal using its bones.
• How does syphilis impact bones?
• Poaching and habitat destruction.
• The application of natural selection in the animal kingdom.

Good Cultural Anthropology Research Paper Topics

• Religious beliefs in the Asian cultures.
• Comparing religious beliefs in African and Aboriginal cultures.
• A review of the key cultural concepts in a culture of choice in Europe.
• Comparing the idea of worldview from the perspectives of two societies.
• Marriage in a traditional society of your choice.
• A review of early development of economic organizations.
• The role of women in Indian society.
• A closer look at the process of language acquisition in African culture.
• Missionary and anthropology: What is the relationship?
• What strategies would you propose to minimize ethnocentrism?
• How can society minimize the notion of cultural baggage?
• Culture shock: Insights on how to address it.
• Belief in magic in different societies.
• A review of the impacts of globalization on nutritional anthropology.

Anthropological Research Questions

• Should anthropology be merged fully with biology?
• Is DNA evidence accurate in criminology applications?
• How does the practice of anthropology application in China compare to that of the US?
• Use of radiological tools in anthropology: What is their level of effectiveness?
• What are the main hazards and risks of forensic anthropology?
• What effect do mythologies have in modern society?
• How does language acquisition impact the culture of a society?
• Body project change projects: What are the valued attributes?
• Halloween celebrations: How have they evolved over the years?
• What are the impacts of adaptive mutation?
• How did WWI and WWII impact human societies?
• What are the impacts of climate change on animal evolution?
• Location of crime: What can you learn about it?
• What are the impacts of long-term alcohol addiction on the human body?
• Magic and science: Are they related?

Easy Anthropological Ideas

• Development of anthropology in the 21st century.
• Important lessons about humans that can be drawn from anthropological studies.
• Anthropological issues in pre-capitalist societies.
• A closer look at folk roles and primitive society.
• Urban centers and modern man.
• How is automation impacting human behavior?
• How does biology impact human culture?
• Reviewing racial identity and stereotypes in society.
• Comparing ancient Aztec to Maya civilizations.
• Analyzing religious diversity in the United States.
• Comparing religious diversity in the UK and Italy.
• Why is studying anthropology important?
• Comparing different death rituals in different cultures on the globe.
• What is the relationship between literature and human development?
• Analyzing the influence of anthropology on modern art.
• How has social media impacted different cultures on the globe?

Linguistic Anthropology Research Topics

• What led to the emergence of linguistics anthropology?
• A review of the main theories in linguistic anthropology.
• Linguistics used by different communities in the same nation.
• Comparing sign and verbal communication.
• How did Dell Hymes contribute to linguistic anthropology?
• Language is the most important component among Bengal immigrants.
• Language endangerment: What is it?
• Comparing different categories of arts from an anthropological context for an Asian and Western country.
• The impact of colonization on the language of a specific society of your choice.
• Explore three different indigenous languages in America.

Controversial Anthropology Topics

• Social anthropology is not worth studying because it is very general.
• Human societies are cultural constructs.
• The past should be considered a foreign nation.
• What are your views of petro behavior in chimps?
• Man is natural killer
• Infant killing is an important evolutionary strategy.
• The war on infanticides: Which side do you support?
• Evaluating the concept of human morality.
• Should all the political leaders be required to undertake training in cultural anthropology?
• Human cleansing: Evaluating the driving factors in different societies.
• Analyzing the concept of political correctness in the 21st century.
• What are the earliest life forms to exist on the planet?

Medical Anthropology Research Topics List

• Comparing and contrasting physical and medical anthropology studies.
• Do we have evidence of evolution over the last 2000 years?
• Exploring the importance of anthropology in modern medicine.
• The health implications of adapting to ecology.
• Domestic health culture practices in two societies of choice.
• A review of clinical anthropology applications.
• Political ecology of infectious diseases.
• What is the relationship between violence, diseases and malnutrition?
• The economic aspect of political health in a country of choice.
• Perception of risk, vulnerability and illnesses: A case study of the United States.
• What are the main factors that drive good nutrition and health transition?
• The adoption of preventive health practices in society.
• Important cultural conditions that help shape medical practices.
• Comparing the medical practices during the colonial and post-colonial eras in a county of choice.
• Use of mitochondria in forensic and anthropology.
• Commercialization of health and medicine: What are the implications in society?
• Analyzing health disparity in a society of your choice.

Current Topics In Anthropology

• Using anthropology studies to determine the impact of political systems on different societies.
• Human rights of people who are convicted of crimes.
• What are the most important organizations when studying anthropology?
• A closer look at the dialect of a modern feminist.
• A study of current queer life in Germany.
• Implications of Barack Obama as the African American President.
• Reviewing the Pagan rituals and their impacts.
• Comparing aging in the west and growing old in the African setting.
• Cultural implications of deviant behavior in society.
• The new concept of childhood in the emerging economies.

Physical Anthropology Research Topics

• What does genetic hitchhiking mean?
• Analyzing the cephalization process.
• What is adaptive mutation?
• Altruism: Is it learnt or a natural trait?
• What is abiogenesis in human development?
• A study of Australian marsupial’s convergent evolution.
• Comparing stability of animals in stability and those in the wild.
• Evolution of different animals in different parts of the globe. What drives the differences?
• A review of physical anthropology trends.
• The future evolution of human beings.
• Physical anthropology: The human and digital culture.
• What really makes people human?

Special Anthropology Topics to Write About

• Enlightenment and Victorian Anthropological Theory.
• Race and ethnicity: The anthropologist’s viewpoint.
• A closer look at reciprocity in the native aboriginal communities in Australia.
• What is the relationship between Neanderthal and modern humans?
• Cultural anthropology versus sociology.
• Anthropology of Mormonism.
• What is the biggest change since WWI?
• What is reflexive anthropology?
• What is the main purpose of rituals in society?
• Comparing rituals around childbirth in Asia.
• Evaluating the connection between religion and myths in different societies.
• Comparing the 20th and 21st century’s method of collecting anthropological data.
• Why is medical anthropology so important today?
• The importance of Benin artifacts in the history of the world.
• The sociology theory: A review of its structure and shortcomings.
• Christian believes in anthropology.
• Comparing Anthropology of Europe to Anthropology of Africa.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of reflexivity use in ethnographic studies.

Forensic Anthropology Paper Topics

• What are the primary agents that cause biological changes in the human body?
• Are the biological change agents in a human being similar to those of other animals?
• Assessing the accuracy of carbon dating technology.
• Analyzing the latest improvements in crime detection technology.
• Analyzing evidence that supports evolution views of human beings.
• How does radioactivity impact different animals?
• The main signs of asphyxiation.
• A review of the latest archaeological dating methods: Are they effective?
• Mummification: How effective was the process as applied in Egypt?
• Importance of crime scenes in forensic anthropology.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of Buccal Swabs when profiling insides of cheeks.
• Criminal profiling: How effective is it in deterring a criminal’s traits?
• Footprint in the crime scene: What can they tell you?
• Soil comparison in forensic anthropology.
• Insect as important agents of body decomposition.
• How do you identify blunt force trauma?
• Comparing and contrasting penetrating and perforating trauma.
• Analyzing the Rigor Mortis method of establishing a person’s death.

Use Online Help To Prepare Exceptional Papers

This post has demonstrated how you should go about preparing a quality anthropology paper. However, many still find it challenging to prepare even after selecting interesting anthropology research topics. Well, there is no need to worry because you can use experts in research paper and dissertation writers. Using our resources when you buy dissertation with us, you will get exceptional results.

Our custom writers are highly educated and ready to help you prepare every research paper in anthropology, and any other topics and services, even dissertation formatting services . Even at the high level of studies, such as graduate, undergraduate, or masters, our online writers can also help. All you need is to visit our site and tell us to “write my thesis” to get the task done. Again, we have very responsive customer support, our services are cheap, and we can complete even papers with tight deadlines fast.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment * Error message

Name * Error message

Email * Error message

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

As Putin continues killing civilians, bombing kindergartens, and threatening WWIII, Ukraine fights for the world's peaceful future.

Ukraine Live Updates

299+ Forensic Science Research Topics (Updated 2024)

Welcome to the world of Forensic Science Research Topics. Get ready to dive into a treasure of fascinating ideas that crack the mysteries behind crime-solving techniques. This year’s collection spans 15 stunning categories, each including 20 engaging topics.

From DNA Analysis uncovering secrets in genes to Ballistics & Firearms exploring the science behind bullets, these categories open doors to understanding how science solves puzzling cases. Cyber Forensics delves into the digital world of crime, while Forensic Anthropology examines the stories hidden within skeletal remains.

Explore Toxicology & Drug Analysis, diving into the science of poisons and medications, or journey into Wildlife Forensics, where nature meets investigation. Uncover the secrets of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis or delve into the linguistic clues in Forensic Linguistics.

Join us as we uncover the mysteries, piece by piece, and go on a thrilling journey into the captivating realm of Forensic Science Research for the year 2024.

Top 5 Applications of Forensic Science

Table of Contents

Forensic science stands as a crucial pillar in solving mysteries within the kingdoms of crime and justice. It includes various scientific disciplines applied to legal matters, providing key insights that aid investigations and legal proceedings. This multidisciplinary field plays a crucial role in solving crimes, identifying culprits, and bringing closure to victims’ families. Here are the top 5 applications of Forensic Science:

• Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) : Forensic science’s foundation involves detailed examination of crime scenes. It encompasses evidence collection, analysis of fingerprints, bloodstains, fibers, and other trace evidence. This critical process helps reconstruct the sequence of events leading to a crime.
• DNA Analysis : The advancement in DNA technology has revolutionized forensic science. DNA analysis helps identify individuals, link suspects to crime scenes, and exonerate innocent parties. It’s a powerful tool in criminal investigations and solving cold cases.
• Toxicology & Drug Analysis : Forensic toxicology focuses on detecting drugs, poisons, or toxins in the body. It’s instrumental in determining causes of death or establishing impairment due to substances.
• Ballistics & Firearms Analysis : This branch involves studying firearms, bullets, and cartridge cases. It assists in linking weapons to crimes, identifying shooting distances, and determining trajectories.
• Digital Evidence Examination : In the digital age, forensic science extends into cyberspace. Experts analyze digital devices and data to recover, interpret, and present evidence pertinent to cybercrimes.

These five applications showcase how forensic science’s diverse toolkit and methodologies are instrumental in solving crimes, offering justice, and ensuring a safer society.

Top 299+ Forensic Science Research Topics

Now, join us in exploring these thought-provoking themes and be part of the thrilling journey where every clue leads to a new revelation in the field of forensic research. Let us start.

Top 20 Research Topics For DNA Analysis

• Advances in Next-Generation Sequencing Technologies
• Application of DNA Phenotyping in Criminal Investigations
• Forensic Use of Microbial DNA Analysis
• Ethical Implications of DNA Data Sharing
• Rapid DNA Testing in Law Enforcement
• Epigenetics and Its Role in DNA Analysis
• DNA Methylation as an Age Estimation Tool
• Familial DNA Searching in Cold Cases
• Forensic Application of CRISPR Technology
• Mitochondrial DNA Analysis in Identification
• DNA Barcoding for Species Identification
• DNA Preservation Techniques in Forensics
• Y-Chromosome Analysis for Lineage Tracing
• Population Genetics and DNA Variation Studies
• Role of Artificial Intelligence in DNA Analysis
• DNA Damage and Repair Mechanisms
• Forensic Genealogy and Genetic Genealogy
• Environmental DNA (eDNA) Analysis in Forensics
• Forensic Interpretation of DNA Markers
• Comparative Genomics in Forensic DNA Analysis

Top 20 Research Topics For Cyber Forensics

• Cybercrime Investigation Techniques
• Network Traffic Analysis in Digital Forensics
• Malware Analysis and Forensic Examination
• Internet of Things (IoT) Forensics
• Cloud Forensics and Data Recovery
• Cyber Threat Intelligence Analysis
• Incident Response and Readiness in Cyber Forensic
• Social Media Forensic Analysis
• Steganography Detection and Analysis
• Cryptocurrency Forensics
• Mobile Device Forensics
• Digital Evidence Collection and Preservation
• Network Intrusion Detection and Analysis
• Email Header and Content Examination
• Cyber Forensics in Financial Crimes
• Digital Forensic Challenges in Cloud Computing
• Live Data Acquisition and Analysis
• IoT Device Security and Forensics
• Cyber Forensics in Industrial Control Systems
• Anti-Forensic Techniques and Countermeasures

Top 20 Research Topics For Forensic Anthropology

• Skeletal Trauma Analysis in Forensics
• Age Estimation Methods from Skeletal Remains
• Forensic Facial Reconstruction Techniques
• Skeletal Identification Procedures
• Forensic Taphonomy Studies
• Bone Histology in Forensic Investigations
• Forensic Anthropology in Mass Disasters
• Skeletal Analysis for Ancestry Determination
• Skeletal Pathology and Disease Identification
• Entomology in Forensic Anthropology
• Postmortem Interval Estimation from Skeletal Markers
• Burned and Fragmentary Remains Analysis
• Forensic Anthropology in Child Abuse Cases
• Human Rights and Forensic Anthropology
• Forensic Facial Approximation Methods
• Bioarchaeology and Cultural Forensic Anthropology
• Skeletal Stature and Body Mass Estimation
• Forensic Anthropology in War Crimes Investigations
• Skeletal DNA Analysis in Identification
• Skeletal Patterning in Trauma Analysis

Top 20 Research Topics For Ballistics & Firearms

• Firearm Examination and Toolmark Analysis
• Gunshot Residue Analysis Techniques
• Bullet Trajectory Reconstruction Methods
• Forensic Ballistics in Crime Scene Reconstruction
• Firearms Identification Procedures
• Terminal Ballistics and Wound Analysis
• Cartridge Case Examination and Comparison
• Striation Analysis in Bullet and Barrel Matching
• Bullet Penetration and Damage Studies
• Firearm Serial Number Restoration Techniques
• Gunshot Acoustics and Audio Forensics
• Firearm Modification Analysis
• Forensic Analysis of Ammunition Types
• Forensic Ballistics in Shooting Incident Reconstructions
• Shotgun Pattern Analysis Methods
• Bullet Fragment Analysis Techniques
• Distance Determination in Shooting Cases
• Trajectory Analysis in Vehicle-Involved Shootings
• Gunshot Residue Collection and Analysis Methods
• Ballistics and Firearms in Expert Testimony

Top 20 Forensic Science Research Topics On Digital Evidence Examination

• Data Recovery and Reconstruction Techniques
• File System Forensics
• Mobile App Forensic Analysis
• Internet History and Browsing Analysis
• Cloud Storage Forensics
• Metadata Analysis in Digital Evidence
• Deleted File Recovery and Interpretation
• Social Media Forensics
• IoT Device Forensic Analysis
• Network Packet Capture and Analysis
• Timestamp Analysis in Digital Evidence
• Malware Analysis and Behavior Examination
• Database Forensics
• GPS and Geolocation Data Forensics
• Steganalysis and Hidden Data Detection
• Memory Forensics and RAM Analysis
• Artifact Extraction from Operating Systems
• Wearable Technology Forensic Analysis

Top 20 Research Topics For Toxicology & Drug Analysis

• Emerging Drug Trends and Novel Psychoactive Substances
• Forensic Analysis of Opioids and Overdose Deaths
• Designer Drugs Identification and Analysis
• Postmortem Toxicology in Fatalities
• Drug-Facilitated Crimes Analysis
• Workplace Drug Testing Methods
• Forensic Toxicology in Sports Doping
• Analytical Techniques in Drug Detection
• Toxicology of Prescription Medications
• Herbal and Natural Product Toxicology
• Hair Analysis in Drug Detection
• Forensic Toxicology and Environmental Exposure
• Toxicological Analysis in Poisoning Cases
• Analytical Chemistry in Toxicological Studies
• Alcohol Biomarkers and Analysis
• Forensic Toxicology and Forensic Pathology Collaboration
• Forensic Toxicology in Criminal Investigations
• Forensic Toxicology and Age Estimation
• Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Cases
• Forensic Toxicology and Public Health Impact

Top 20 Forensic Science Research Topics On Wildlife Forensics

• Illegal Wildlife Trade Analysis
• DNA Forensics in Wildlife Crime Investigations
• Forensic Identification of Endangered Species
• Wildlife Product Trafficking Investigations
• Forensic Analysis of Poaching Incidents
• Species Identification using Forensic Techniques
• Forensic Entomology in Wildlife Crime Scenes
• Forensic Anthropology in Wildlife Investigations
• Timber Trafficking Forensics
• Wildlife Forensics and Conservation Genetics
• Forensic Odontology in Wildlife Crime Cases
• Trace Evidence Analysis in Wildlife Crime
• Forensic Ballistics in Wildlife Poaching
• Forensic Examination of Fishing and Hunting Gear
• Forensic Imaging and Photography in Wildlife Forensics
• Wildlife DNA Database Development
• Forensic Botany and Plant DNA in Wildlife Investigations
• Forensic Veterinary Pathology in Wildlife Cases
• Wildlife Forensics and International Law Enforcement
• Wildlife Trafficking Routes Analysis

Top 20 Research Topics For Forensic Accounting

• Financial Statement Fraud Examination
• Money Laundering Investigations
• Forensic Analysis of Corporate Fraud
• Forensic Audit Techniques
• Asset Misappropriation Investigations
• Tax Evasion and Fraud Analysis
• Digital Forensics in Financial Investigations
• Investigative Accounting in Bankruptcy Cases
• Forensic Accounting in Divorce Proceedings
• Forensic Accounting in Insurance Claims
• Fraudulent Financial Reporting Analysis
• Bribery and Corruption Investigations
• Forensic Accounting in Nonprofit Organizations
• Business Valuation in Forensic Accounting
• Forensic Accounting and Economic Damages Calculation
• Investigating Embezzlement Cases
• Forensic Accounting in Government Agencies
• Forensic Accounting in Investment Fraud
• Forensic Accounting Ethics and Standards
• Forensic Accounting in Risk Management

Top 20 Forensic Science Research Topics On Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

• Impact Angle Determination in Bloodstain Analysis
• Bloodstain Pattern Classification Methods
• Spatter vs. Transfer Bloodstain Analysis
• Low-Velocity Bloodstain Patterns
• High-Velocity Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
• Area of Convergence and Area of Origin Calculation
• Bloodstain Pattern Analysis in Shooting Incidents
• Void Patterns in Bloodstain Analysis
• Cast-off Bloodstain Analysis
• Saturation and Dilution Analysis in Bloodstains
• Bloodstain Pattern Analysis in Assault Cases
• Swiping and Wiping Bloodstain Patterns
• Bloodstain Pattern Documentation Techniques
• Altered Bloodstain Patterns and Their Analysis
• Bloodstain Pattern Analysis and Crime Scene Reconstruction
• Bloodstain Pattern Analysis on Textiles and Fabrics
• Spine and Travel Analysis in Bloodstain Patterns
• Bloodstain Pattern Analysis in Homicide Investigations
• Bloodstain Pattern Analysis in Accidental Injuries
• Impact Spatter Analysis in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

Top 20 Research Topics For Forensic Pathology

• Postmortem Interval Estimation Methods
• Cause of Death Determination Techniques
• Forensic Autopsy Procedures
• Blunt Force Trauma Analysis
• Sharp Force Injuries Examination
• Gunshot Wound Examination in Forensic Pathology
• Forensic Toxicology in Autopsy Analysis
• Thermal Injury and Burns Examination
• Asphyxiation and Suffocation Investigations
• Decompositional Changes in Forensic Pathology
• Forensic Pathology and Child Abuse Cases
• Forensic Anthropology in Autopsy Investigations
• Electrical and Lightning Injury Analysis
• Drowning and Water-related Deaths in Forensic Pathology
• Forensic Pathology and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• Forensic Pathology in Traumatic Brain Injury Cases
• Forensic Pathology in Mass Fatality Incidents
• Forensic Pathology and Forensic Odontology Collaboration
• Forensic Pathology and Infectious Disease Investigations
• Forensic Pathology and Forensic Psychiatry Interface

Top 20 Forensic Science Research Topics On Forensic Odontology

• Bite Mark Analysis and Interpretation
• Dental Identification Techniques
• Forensic Radiography in Odontology
• Age Estimation from Dental Development
• Forensic Odontology in Mass Disasters
• Human Identification using Dental Records
• Bite Mark Analysis in Criminal Investigations
• Dental Impressions and Evidence Collection
• Bite Mark Comparison Methods
• Forensic Odontology in Child Abuse Cases
• Dental Evidence in Bite Injury Cases
• Forensic Bite Mark Photography Techniques
• Dental Morphology and Identification
• Forensic Odontology and Patterned Injury Analysis
• Dental Forensics and Bite Mark Validation
• Dental DNA Analysis in Forensic Odontology
• Bite Mark Analysis in Sexual Assault Cases
• Forensic Odontology in Age Estimation
• Dental Prosthetics in Forensic Identification
• Bite Mark Analysis and Courtroom Testimony

Top 20 Research Topics For Forensic Linguistics

• Authorship Identification in Textual Analysis
• Forensic Stylistics and Writing Analysis
• Threat Assessment and Textual Analysis
• Linguistic Profiling in Criminal Investigations
• Voice Identification and Speaker Profiling
• Deception Detection through Linguistic Analysis
• Forensic Discourse Analysis
• Linguistic Analysis of Suicide Notes
• Comparative Text Analysis in Forensic Linguistics
• Linguistic Analysis of Ransom Notes
• Forensic Phonetics and Speaker Identification
• Linguistic Forensics in Threatening Communication
• Language Analysis in Hate Speech Investigations
• Forensic Linguistics in Cyberbullying Cases
• Verbal Lie Detection Techniques
• Forensic Linguistics and Anonymous Communication
• Language Variation Analysis in Legal Contexts
• Linguistic Profiling in Extortion Cases
• Forensic Linguistics in Profanity Analysis
• Linguistic Analysis of Recorded Conversations

Top 20 Forensic Science Research Topics On Forensic Entomology

• Postmortem Interval Estimation using Insects
• Forensic Use of Blow Flies in Investigations
• Insect Succession Patterns on Decomposing Bodies
• Maggot Mass Temperature and Development Analysis
• Forensic Entomotoxicology (Insects and Toxins)
• Insect Colonization on Buried Remains
• Diptera Identification in Forensic Contexts
• Insect Artifacts on Human Remains
• Forensic Acarology (Mites and Forensics)
• Forensic Entomology in Cold Climate Regions
• Insect Arrival Time and Death Scene Analysis
• Decomposition Studies on Different Environments
• Seasonal Variation in Insect Colonization
• Insect Evidence in Wildlife Forensics
• Forensic Entomology and Crime Scene Investigation
• Insect Pupation and Life Cycle Analysis
• Forensic Use of Beetles and Other Insects
• Forensic Entomology and Postmortem Changes
• Insect Species Diversity on Decomposing Remains
• Insect Evidence Preservation and Collection Techniques

Top 20 Research Topics For Forensic Botany

• Pollen Analysis in Forensic Investigations
• Vegetation Succession on Decomposing Remains
• Forensic Palynology and Crime Scene Analysis
• Plant DNA Profiling in Forensic Botany
• Phytolith Analysis in Soil Forensics
• Botanical Traces and Environmental Significance
• Forensic Use of Algal Evidence
• Plant Tissue Analysis in Death Investigations
• Forensic Seed Identification and Analysis
• Plant-based Toxin Detection in Poisoning Cases
• Botanical Evidence in Wildlife Crime Investigations
• Forensic Plant Anatomy and Morphology
• Plant Ecology as Evidence in Legal Cases
• Forensic Phytogeography and Geolocation
• Plant Trace Evidence on Clothing and Tools
• Forensic Herbal Medicine Analysis
• Dendrochronology in Forensic Botany
• Forensic Plant Pathology
• Forensic Botany and Soil Analysis
• Plant DNA Barcoding for Species Identification

Top 20 Forensic Science Research Topics On Psychology

• False Memory Formation and Witness Testimony
• Investigative Interviewing Techniques
• Psychological Profiling in Criminal Investigations
• Eyewitness Identification Accuracy
• Deception Detection in Forensic Contexts
• Risk Assessment and Recidivism Prediction
• Mental Health in Correctional Facilities
• Psychological Factors in Jury Decision-Making
• Forensic Assessment of Competency to Stand Trial
• Rehabilitation Programs for Offenders
• Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Forensic Psychology in Child Custody Cases
• Behavioral Analysis in Criminal Profiling
• Mental Health and Criminal Responsibility
• Psychological Effects of Crime on Victims
• Psychopathy and Antisocial Behavior
• Juvenile Offenders and Intervention Strategies
• Forensic Neuropsychology and Brain Imaging
• Forensic Assessment of Risk in Violent Offenders
• Witness Credibility and Memory Distortion

Exploring the world of Forensic Science has been a thrilling journey through mysteries and discoveries. With more than 299 forensic science research topics, we’ve uncovered the secrets behind DNA, cyber mysteries, bones, and much more. From decoding crimes with linguistics to unraveling wildlife mysteries, every category held its own treasure of knowledge.

 Remember, these topics aren’t just for experts, they invite everyone to dive into the fascinating world of crime-solving science. As we conclude this adventure, let these topics inspire curiosity and understanding in unraveling the secrets of the forensic world in 2024 and beyond.

Related Posts

Step by Step Guide on The Best Way to Finance Car

The Best Way on How to Get Fund For Business to Grow it Efficiently

Home > Eberly College of Arts and Sciences > Departments > Forensic and Investigative Science > Forensic and Investigative Science Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Forensic and Investigative Science Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

An investigation into secondary transfer of trace DNA to evidentiary items via nitrile gloves during crime scene examination , Molly G. Younker

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Strengthening the Interpretation of Glass and Paint Evidence Through the Study of Random Frequency of Occurrence and Analytical Information , Lauryn C. Alexander

Quantifying Variation in High-Quality Footwear Replicate Impressions , Samantha K. Brady

Development of a Mass Transfer Correction Factor in a Thermodynamic Model to Explain the Weathering Patterns of Ignitable Liquids on Household Substrates at Elevated Temperatures , Max T. Denn

The Influence of Instrumental Sources of Variance on Mass Spectral Comparison Algorithms , Isabel Cristina Galvez Valencia

Finite Element Modeling and Analysis of Breech Face Impressions , James A. Hamilton

An Assessment of the Forensic Aspects of Genetic Genealogy , Sarah Hester

Footwear Image Quality Classification: Using Subjective Assessments and Objective Image Metrics to Predict Impression Quality , En-Tni Lin

Interpretation of the Tandem Mass Spectrum of the Novel Psychoactive Substance 5F-APP-PINACA, PX-2 , Christopher S. Poulos

Computerized Trajectory Analysis for Firearms Examiners , Baillie E. Poulton

Enhancing the forensic comparison process of common trace materials through the development of practical and systematic methods , Meghan Nicole Prusinowski

Evaluating the Degradation Relationship Between Latent Print Impressions and Touch DNA Under Varying Environmental Conditions , Katrina M. Rupert B.S.

Estimate of the Random Match Frequency of Acquired Characteristics in a Forensic Footwear Database , Alyssa N. Smale

Analysis of ‘touch’ DNA recovered from metal substrates: an investigation into cfDNA-metal interactions and the efficacy of different collection techniques on DNA yield , Jessica E. Thornton

Analysis of the Effect of Rate of Fire on the Reproducibility of Breech Face Impressions , Kayla Ann Trimble

Assessment of Acquisition, Retention, and Evolution of Randomly Acquired Characteristics with Wear , Nathaniel Weston

Evaluation of emerging screening technologies for the on-site detection and identification of methamphetamine and its precursors in simulated clandestine lab operations , Alexis Nicole Wilcox

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Development of an Expert Algorithm for Substance Identification (EASI) to Discriminate between Spectrally Similar Fentanyl Analogs in Mass Spectrometry , Alexandra Adeoye

Evaluating the Validity and Reliability of Textile and Paper Fracture Characteristics in Forensic Comparative Analysis , Zachary Bailey Andrews

mtDNA Heteroplasmy in Hair Shafts versus Buccal Swabs for Forensic Applications , Sara R. Bodnar

Integration of Spectroscopic and Mass Spectrometric Tools for the Analysis of Novel Psychoactive Substances in Forensic and Toxicology Applications , Travon Cooman

Electrochemical and mass spectrometry methods for identification of gunshot residues (GSR) in forensic investigations , Kourtney A. Dalzell

Assessment of QuEChERS extraction protocol for the LC-MS/MS detection of emerging fentanyl analogs in biological specimens for clinical and forensic purposes , Kylea M. Morris

Analysis of Forensically Relevant Evidence Using Electrochemistry, Spectroscopy, and Mass Spectrometry Tools , Colby Edward Ott

Identifying and Minimizing Sources of Variability Within Modern Spectroscopic Techniques for the Forensic Analysis of Glass , Oriana Christy Ovide

Analyzing the viability of direct PCR for use in conjunction with cyanoacrylate enhanced fingerprints , Coral M. Smith

Expanding the Capabilities of Firearm Investigations: Novel Sampling and Analytical Methods for Gunshot Residue Evidence , Courtney Helen Vander Pyl

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Quantitation of Fentanyl and Metabolites from Blow Fly Tissue and Development Effects of Fentanyl on Lucilia sericata , Joseph Allen Cox

Characterization of Modern Ammunition and Background Profiles: A Novel Approach and Probabilistic Interpretation of Inorganic Gunshot Residue , Korina Layli Menking-Hoggatt

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Prevalence of Pores in Latent Fingerprints , Rachel E. Ball

Statistical Assessment of the Significance of Fracture Fits in Trace Evidence , Evie K. Brooks

American Population Study of Pigmentation Based Genotype Interpretation for Phenotypic Determination of Hair and Eye Color using HIrisPlex , Emma Leigh Combs

Structural Characterization of Emerging Synthetic Drugs , Jay Tyler Davidson

Validation of Fast Spectrochemical Screening Methods for the Identification of Counterfeit Pharmaceutical Packaging , Emily Ann Haase

Evaluating the Use of the M-Vac® Wet Vacuum System to Recover DNA from Cotton Fabric , Phillip Reilly Irion

Evaluating the Accuracy of Firearm Examiner Conclusions using Cartridge Case Reproductions , Eric Freeman Law

Evaluation of the Performance of Probabilistic Genotyping Software on Complex Mixture Samples , Kristen Newland

Statistical Evaluation of Randomly Acquired Characteristics on Outsoles with Implications Regarding Chance Co-Occurrence and Spatial Randomness , Nicole Richetelli

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Crime Incidents for Forensic Investigation , Jamie Spencer Spaulding

The Effects of Household Substrates on the Evaporation of Ignitable Liquids at Temperatures up to 210℃ , Caitlyn Wensel

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Immunomagnetic Beads Coupled with Anti-PH-20 Antibodies to Isolate Sperm from DNA Mixtures for Sexual Assault Kit Application , Kayla Becks

In vitro metabolism of the synthetic cannabinoids PX-1, PX-2, PX-3 and a comparison of their clearance rates in human liver microsomes , Travon Cooman

The Effects Hot Water Kill Time has on DNA Degradation and STR Profiling from Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Crop Contents , Nicholas Alexander Haas

Identification of Burnt Smokeless Gunpowders Through Physical Characteristics , Cameron Taylor Hartwig

Modeling Movement of Criminals through Burglary Scenes , Veronica L. Herrmann

The Evaluation of the RapidHITTM 200 on Degraded Biological Samples , Alice Kim

Screening Sexual Assault Evidence with Low Concentrations of Male DNA Utilizing the RapidHIT 200 and ParaDNA Intelligence Test , Taylor L. Koepfler

Electrochemical detection of fentanyl using screen-printed carbon electrodes with confirmatory analysis of fentanyl and its analogs in oral fluid using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry , Colby E. Ott

Assessing the reliability of physical end matching and chemical comparison of pressure sensitive tapes , Meghan Nicole Prusinowski

Chemical Analysis of Firearm Discharge Residues Using Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy , Courtney Helen Vander Pyl

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Understanding the Novice Decision-Making Process in Forensic Footwear Examinations: Accuracy and Decision Rules , Madonna A. Nobel

Inclusion of 9 mm Firearm Type Using Quantitative Class Characteristics , Young Wang

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

The Analysis of the Fatty Acid Content of Fingerprint Residues Using Gas ChromatographyMass Spectrometry , Ashley R. Cochran

The Analysis of 2,5-Dimethoxy-N-(N-methoxybenzyl) phenethylamine (NBOMe) Isomers Using Traditional and Fast Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry , J. Tyler Davidson

Effect of Chamber Pressure on the Quality of Breech Face and Firing Pin Impressions , James A. Hamilton

AFIS Based Likelihood Ratios for Latent Fingerprint Comparisons , Shreya Sateesh Kamath

The Assessment of Fingerprint Quality for a More Effective Match Score in Minutiae-Based Matching Performers , Alyshia Meyers

Evidence Utility in Forensic Intelligence Models , Jamie S. Spaulding

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Determining the Angle of Impact from the Analysis of Bullets Following Perforation with Glass , Roger L. Jeffreys II

Determining the Number of Test Fires Needed to Represent the Variability Present Within a Firearm , Eric Law

The evaluation and interpretation of controls used in three commercially available quantification kits for forensic DNA analysis , Stephanie R. Schottke

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

How Well Are Your Police Doing?: The Relationship Between Fear of Crime and Perceptions of the Police , Erin Bixler

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Recovery Methods of Trace Evidence for Pollen Particles , Christie Cyktor

Estimation of changes in breech face and firing pin marks over consecutive discharges and its impact on 2D correlation systems , Justin Kirk

You Can't Fight City Hall: Organization and Success in West Virginia , Theodore Malone

Development and Evaluation of an Objective Method for Forensic Examination of Human Head Hairs Using Texture-Based Image Analysis , Allyce S. McWhorter

Social Structure and Clearance Rates: The Effect of Neighborhood Characteristics on Aggravated Assault Case Outcome , Brad Silberzahn

Digital Image Transformations and Image Stacking of Latent Prints Processed Using Multiple Physical and Chemical Techniques , Danielle Tague

"Man of the House": A Turning Point That Leads to Criminal Behavior? , Delia A. Trickett

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Quantifying the Limits of Fingerprint Variability , Michael Fagert

A Survey on the Microscopical and Chemical Analysis of Synthetic Wig Fibers , Theresa A. Joslin

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Reproducibility of Retention Indices Examining Column Type , Amanda M. Cadau

Swedish Legislation Targeting Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation and the Possibilities for Implementation in Estonia , Jennifer E. Lyall

Evaluating the Intra-variability and Inter-variability of Fibers in Cotton T-shirts using Microspectrophotometry , Brianne Miller

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Evaluation of the Use of Raman Spectroscopic Techniques in Ink Analyses , Patricia T. Elswick

Uncertainty Considerations with the GRIM , Eric L. Everts

Pre and Post Blast Chemical Comparison of the Intra- and Inter-Variability of Metal Pipes Commonly Used in Pipe Bombs , Mandi Hellested

Recovery of DNA Profiles from Fingerprints on Paper after the Application of Ninhydrin or DFO Given Certain Time Periods , Marco Colin Lovejoy

Evaluating the Ability of Different Weak Acids When Combined with Hydrogen Peroxide to Develop Latent Fingerprints on Post-Fired Cartridge Cases , Casey Nicholas Oleksa

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

Preliminary Study on the Reliability of AFIX Tracker for Lip Print Examination , Kelli E. Edmiston

Transfer and Persistence of Gunshot Residue Particles , DeAnna M. Wallace

• Collections
• Disciplines
• WVU Libraries
• WVU Research Office
• WVU Research Commons
• Open Access @ WVU
• Digital Publishing Institute

Advanced Search

• Notify me via email or RSS

Author Corner

Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright

Custom Essay, Term Paper & Research paper writing services

• testimonials

Toll Free: +1 (888) 354-4744

Email: [email protected]

Writing custom essays & research papers since 2008

155 best forensic science research topics for your paper.

Forensic science or criminalistics applies scientific methodology and principles to solving crime and aid criminal justice procedures and laws. This area of study covers many fields ranging from computer forensics to doctoral research and forensic psychology.

For students specializing in forensic science studies, it is common to have to write an essay, research paper, or dissertation on the subject’s topics. The tricky part here is to select the perfect topic from a wide array of forensic science topics for a research paper. You could work on something that focuses on a neglected area of study in the field or go in for a controversial topic. You can also pick a common topic and throw new light on it, or simply choose a topic highlighting societal trends.

Whatever you choose to work on, it is essential to clearly state your research question/topic, offer defensible logic, have a well-elaborated body and a concise conclusion to score well.

Here is a list of some of the most interesting research topics in forensic science, which will allow you to write a good essay and score well. Take a look:

Forensic Science Research Paper Topics

These are some common but good forensic science topics that are sure to get you great reviews:

• Hereditary in fingerprints and pattern similarities among family members
• Is it possible to solve crimes with forensic dentistry?
• Understanding the crime through the skeletal remains of the victim
• Victim identification through skeletal remains
• The association between legal ethics, forensic dentistry, and crime-solving
• Techniques of gathering DNA sample through buccal cell collection in possibly violent subjects
• Using forensic anthropology to identify relations, family, and ancestry
• Using forensic anthropology to identify the age, gender, and size of the victim.
• Forensic evidence – Types, chain of custody, collection, and analysis
• Using forensic anthropology to identify trauma and disease history
• Forensic ballistics and how the type of weapon used can be confirmed?
• Are standard hair tests accurate in racial estimation and solving crimes
• How to develop the best fingerprint testing powder for unmatched result clarity
• The role of forensic psychology in assessing the probability and incidence rate of rape
• Forensic toxicology and its role in analyzing the effects of anti-stress drugs on military members
• The growing need for researching the technologies supporting forensic geomorphology
• Blood spatter studies that aid forensic science in solving crimes
• Forensic microscopy – an insight
• Hair and fibers – What they say in forensic science crime cases
• Poison chemistry – how forensic experts work
• Forensic investigations of WW1 and WW-II war graves
• Forensic reconstructions – importance, role, and scope in solving crimes
• The laws and principles guiding forensic science
• Sawn-off shotguns — evaluating pellet distribution pattern based on barrel length
• Mitochondrial DNA Analysis of skeletal remains – An overview of the technique
• Forensic ballistics — what a bullet may tell about the crime and the weapon used
• Forensic evidence — assembling the pieces to the criminal jigsaw
• Drug detection timelines — an insight
• Development and validation of the method used to assess the quality of friction skin impression for evidence
• Fatal intoxication through Isotonitazine – A case study

Forensic Science Research Topics For High School

These are excellent topics for high school students, which are easy to work on and create impressive essays related to forensic science:

• Comparing sibling fingerprints with strangers
• Finding out if fingerprints of identical twins are also similar
• Differences to quickly separate human skeletal remains from those of animals
• Victim identification – What you must know about facial skeleton
• DNA testing – uses and limitations
• Different types of stab injuries are important from a forensic science perspective
• The dental pattern of wild animals and ways to recognize them.
• Blood spatter patterns and what they indicate about the crime
• Creating blood spatter lab for better understanding of spatter patterns
• Forensic science autopsy reports and what they indicate
• Careers in forensic science and upcoming specializations
• Forensic science and analysis of fiber evidence from the crime scene.
• Good practices in forensic science laboratories
• Handwriting analysis and how it helps forensic science professionals
• The role of Forensic Genealogy in solving age-old cases
• Iodine fuming to reveal latent fingerprints
• Immunoassay techniques for protein identification
• Thin Layer & Paper Chromatography to identify materials
• Forensic art as a means to identify suspects
• Gas chromatography to identify liquids

Interesting topics To Research That Have to Do With Forensic Science

These research topics related to forensic science will help you create an exciting write-up that will draw attention to your knowledge in the subject:

• Studying the composition of cling film used to package illegal drugs to separate drug traffickers from consumers
• Dense materials and their role in Geoforensics
• DNA typing – Pros and cons from a crime-solving perspective
• Using gene expression to assess the age of injury
• Differences in stab injuries that confirm if wounds were antemortem or postmortem
• The study of glass fracture pattern to assess bullet firing direction and distances
• Ground-penetrating radar systems and their role in Geoforensics
• Gamma-ray radiography and its role in crime-solving geomorphology studies
• What insects tell us about the murder scene
• The correct way to prepare a forensic autopsy report
• Forensic psychology and law – an insight
• The forensic science behind fire investigations
• Organic chemistry and its role in forensic science for solving crimes
• Mathematics and statistics — how they aid cases of forensic science
• The forensic science behind identifying forgery and counterfeiting
• Use of 3D imaging for visualization of footwear and tire impressions at the crime scene
• Fluid dynamics study to assess bloody fingerprints at the crime scene
• Audio recordings — interpretation and processing to build a case
• Recorded gunshot sounds and how they are interpreted and analyzed to solve crimes
• Cartridge case comparisons to assess pressure factors in firearms

Controversial Topics In Forensic Science

This is a collection of research paper topics for forensic science that is sure to spark a debate when discussed in class:

• Are changes in the composition of cling film used for drug packaging of any forensic value to arrest criminals?
• DNA typing — an analysis of the efficacy of this technique in identifying victims and unsolved crimes
• Isotope ratio mass spectrometry — an analysis of accuracy concerning the crime, its conditions, and people involved
• Flies that come on a dead body based on its location and time of death
• Forensic psychology and its impact on instances of Military rape
• Is forensic toxicology research lacking in assessing drug abuse among military personnel during combat?
• Is Forensic geomorphology helpful in solving crimes?
• Skeletal tissues and forensic microscopy — the role they play in solving crimes
• Forensic science and how it makes the dead speak
• Characteristics of Zopiclone degradation and consequences from a forensic toxicology perspective
• Understanding what happens to the body when someone dies naturally vs. a violent death.
• Criminal minds and their forensic psychology
• The role of Trace DNA in criminal investigations and its reliability
• Criminal profiling and the role of Forensic psychology in arresting the killer
• Forensic victimology and its role in context with investigations and legal parameters

Forensic Science Topics For Presentation

Suppose you want to make a presentation on any aspect of forensic science. In that case, you can consider the topics given below as they provide sufficient scope and information:

• How to extract fingerprints from a crime scene
• Equipment used in crime scene fingerprinting and the process
• How to identify skeletal remains of a human subject
• Building the face of a human through the remains of their skeleton
• Know all about the various techniques used in forensic anthropology
• Cyber forensics – How to catch a hacker
• Methods of DNA testing
• Methods of DNA testing of unwilling subjects
• Standard forensic hair tests used in forensic examinations
• Identification of cell type and body fluid through RNA based methods
• Types of flies that congregate on a dead body indicating the time of death
• A detailed step-by-step guide to forensic deduction
• Cyber Forensics – how to detect phishing
• Forensic science – the basics of crime scene analysis
• Forensic frauds and laws around examiner misconduct
• Methods and tools used by forensic pathologists
• Forensic autopsy Vs. Regular Autopsy
• The Muscid fly and its forensic importance
• The role of forensic science in tracking victims of human trafficking
• Evaluation of footwear impression — a step by step guide of the Footwear Impression Comparison System (FICS)

Forensic Science Thesis Topics

Use any of the topics given below to write an impressive thesis that showcases in-depth knowledge. These topics provide ample scope to delve deeper into the subject and write after thorough research.

• Fingerprint science — an insight
• Crime scene fingerprinting — a detailed study
• Forensic anthropology — an insight
• Forensic anthropological techniques for a detailed history of the victim
• Isotope ratio mass spectrometry — An Insight
• Computer forensics and its role in solving cybercrime
• Forensic toxicology and how it may help prevent military violence
• The role of forensic anthropology in postmortem findings
• DNA testing methodology — an insight into means available and their efficacy
• Reassessment of Asphyxia and the Pink Teeth Phenomenon
• Forensic psychology – differentiating sociopaths from psychopaths
• Study of blood in forensic science
• DNA typing – An insight into unsolved crimes and the use of this method
• Nanotechnology in Forensic studies – An insight
• Consumer protection in the world of growing cyber crimes and how cyber forensics can help
• Forensic toxicology – An insight
• Fingerprint ridge density and its relation with sex determination
• Forensic geomorphology – an extensive study of the scope and application of this field of study
• The history and evolution of forensic science
• Medical Image security using digital watermarking – An overview
• Anatomy of bruises and what they convey about the tracker and the victim
• Forensic psychology – Understanding the characteristics of psychopaths for profiling.
• High-Resolution Melt (HRM) assays – An insight
• Human vaginal matrix and the analysis of condom evidence from a forensic perspective
• Handprint dimensions for Sex classifications – the ABC model of forensic science

Current Topics in Forensic Science

These topics stem from the latest developments in forensic sciences and highlight the current environment in this field of study. Take a look:

• Latest techniques in forensic science to catch murderers
• Studying injury age using gene expression to solve the crime
• Latest forensic science techniques used to identify illicit drugs
• Developments in technology and chemistry that aid forensic science like never before
• Latest illegal drug recognition systems – an insight
• The amino acid fingerprint test – an evaluation
• Identifying of Felidae Animals using Elemental Analysis of Hair and its Scanning Electron Microscopic Characterization
• Pediatric Poisoning — Seasonal trends, materials and distribution across the UK.
• The UK forensic science environment and what has changed
• The changing scene of Geomorphology with gamma-ray radiography and ground-penetrating radar
• How stable is the use of Zopiclone in forensic studies related to whole blood samples
• Latest enhancements in RNA based methods for identification of cell type and body fluid
• The emerging role of computer forensics in cybercrime and the latest developments.
• Cyberwarfare and how cyber forensics fit in?
• Geoforensics – how soil mapping aids in solving crimes
• mRNA profiling assays and their role in reducing time and cost of analysis
• Latest technologies used in the identification of body fluids
• Latest trends in forensic odontology
• Heartbreak Grass deaths — A toxicological and medico-legal analysis
• Water-soluble paper analysis for forensic discrimination
• A worldwide survey of issues in forensic science – A contemporary perspective
• DNA study to assess regular occupancy in any vehicle
• Methods of assessing authentic audio recordings using different voice apps
• An insight into the DNA extraction process for DNA identification in bodies
• One-handed strangulation – A reconstruction study to find the criminal

If you are looking to submit an impressive dissertation or essay on a topic on forensic science and are still confused about how to proceed, get in touch with us. We can help you find impressive topics for your dissertation and help with forensic science research proposal topics. We have a strong team of expert writers and provide an array of high-quality, professional writing services for college and high school students.

Expect cheap, fast, and custom write-ups that match your education level and are sure to get you the best grades. What is essential is that our work is 100% plagiarism-free and delivered on time to meet your submission deadlines. So feel free to contact us, and our team will be happy to help.

Enjoy a completely custom, expertly-written dissertation. Choose from hundreds of writers, all of whom are career specialists in your subject.

Top Forensic Science Research Topics

Forensic science is a discipline or branch of knowledge that applies scientific methodology/techniques and procedures used to solve criminal occurrences. This study area covers a vast field varying from forensic psychology to computer forensic and doctoral research. College students should use scientific developments and forensic science innovations to resolve criminal offenses.

For students who specialize in forensic science, it is conventional for them to write essays, research papers, or thesis. One of the major hurdles to cross is how to select a perfect topic from the wide array of forensic science research topics. To make things easy for you, you can work on something that focuses on a shunned area of study in the field or go in for a disputed topic

Whatever topic you choose to work on, you should state your research questions/topics and have a well-detailed body and a reasonable conclusion. This can land you a high score. Below is a list of some fascinating forensic science research topics which would give you an upper hand in writing a good essay and getting good grades.

As a leading dissertation consulting service , we specialize in assisting students in forensic science with their essays, research papers, and theses. Our experienced consultants can help you choose a captivating topic, refine your research questions, and craft a strong conclusion. With our support, you can achieve academic success. Explore our services today and access a list of fascinating forensic science research topics to enhance your writing and grades.

Forensic Science Research Topics

Here is a list of forensic topics for research that you will enjoy working on!

• Culprit identification through skeletal remains
• Using forensic dentistry to solve crimes: the good, the bad, and the ugly
• The correlation between legal ethics, forensic dentistry, and crime-solving
• Forensic attestations – Types, a chain of custody, collection, and analysis
• Identifying relations, ancestry, and family using forensic anthropology
• The use of forensic psychology in evaluating the probability and the incidence of the rate of rape
• Forensic science – what hair and fibers can tell us about crime cases
• Poison chemistry – reliability and accuracy of results
• Forensic ballistics – what bullets can tell about crimes
• Forensic evidence: How to assemble the criminal jigsaw pieces.

Forensic Psychology Research Topics

Forensic psychology is psychology related to the law. The field includes the implementation of sciences to its system. Also, it deals with the conjoining of human habits/characteristics and criminal law. Psychologist in the field of forensic helps to unriddle specific data in a case, data such as who must have committed the crime, what must have propelled the criminal to make such kind of act, and how the felon must have strategized the situation.

Therefore, forensic psychology topics provide a range of profundity regarding the level of academic studies being initiated. Below is a list of topics in forensic psychology that can be of help:

• Tracking the behaviors of lawbreakers
• Should the death penalty be encouraged?
• Victim reaction to crime
• Can we rely on the memory of testifiers?
• Sentencing and imprisonment practices
• Do the FBI play important roles in forensic science?
• How to approach settled differences in a DNA in forensics
• Using animals for forensic science research: possible pros and cons
• Incorporating arguments into forensic trials: better/more effective methods
• Ethics and morals and how they affect forensic crime results

Hot Topics in Digital Forensics

Here is a list of digital forensics topics from the latest developments of digital forensics!

• The effects of technology on building digital shreds of evidence
• The function of biological pieces of evidence and DNA in the science of forensic
• How evidence of fingerprint and pattern contribute to forensics
• Explain the impact of Opioids and other illegal drugs on the study of forensic
• How to trace evidence with the use of forensic
• Conduct an analysis of evidence from patterns and impressions
• The effect of virtual reality and simulations on forensic study
• How to determine the criminals behind fire and arson through the study of forensic
• The effect of automation and miniaturization in forensic anthropology
• Forensic science and the importance of nanoparticles in the field.

Forensic science is a compilation of applied disciplines that draws from the branch of science. The forensic science discipline is complex and involves methods that range from DNA analysis to pattern recognition. Below are some forensic topics for research

• Chemical Sciences: Why is forensic chemistry unique?
• The paradigms of forensic science: A critical diagnosis
• Forensic science and the accuracy of age estimation
• Possible research challenges faced in the forensic medicine field
• Forensic science and survey courses rendered
• The genetic approach to forensic science and prevalent problems
• Contribution of forensic science to efforts of wildlife conservation.
• How can racial estimation be determined more accurately?
• The effect of natural changes on the scene of a crime and accuracy of forensics
• How grand innovations affect and challenge the forensic community

Forensic Science Topics Research Paper

Do you have a research paper to write on forensic science? You will surely need some reliable topics for that research paper to make it excellent. Here is a list of forensic science research paper topics!

• Family members and fingerprints pattern similarities: a reliable source of tracing?
• Forensic anthropology and the identification of trauma and disease history
• Forensic anthropology: The identification of size, age, and gender of victims
• Fingerprint testing powders: Better formulation for clearer results
• How to gather forensic pieces of evidence: A closer look
• The pivotal roles played by DNA methylation in forensic science research
• Historical Setbacks in forensic study development: Analysis and a closer look at the causes
• The interconnectivity between chemistry and traced evidence
• Forensic document examination: A better approach
•  Redefining forensic research: A newer outlook

Forensic Research Topics

Do you need some excellent forensic research topics? Well, look no further! Here are some excellent forensic topics for research for you!

• A closer look at the laws and principles guiding forensic science
• What roles does forensic Genealogy play in solving age-old cases?
• Postmortem findings and forensic anthropology: A review
• What does the future hold for the field of forensics: Job opportunities and upcoming specialization?
• Identifying blunt force trauma in victims
• Independent forensic consultants: how reliable are their qualifications in forensic science?
• How forensic science has developed since its inception: A look at challenges and advantages.
• Geographic forensic medicine and its important roles
• The function of DNA methylation in forensic science
• The interconnectivity between forensic medicine and clinical research

Forensic Anthropology Research Topics

Below are some forensic topics for research under anthropology

• Area of the crime: what information they can pass across to us?
• How do professionals get traced evidence?
• Professional blood pattern analysis: Who an individual is and how they can be of help?
• The juxtaposing of soil in forensic anthropology
• Rigor Mortis as the cognitive factor of the individual death
• Information Footprints from a crime site can pass across
• The significance of the scene of the crime
• The construction of an individual outlines characteristics
• The aggravation of Intentional death as a result of coerced drowning
• Hair samples that is not the property of the victim as a possible lead to the attacker

Forensic Science Topics for Presentation

Do you want to make a presentation on an aspect of forensic science? Below are some detailed forensic science presentation topics you could pick from

• The reconstruction of the human face makes use of the residues of their skeleton
• Having a detailed knowledge of various methods used in forensic anthropology
• Techniques to acquire the DNA test of an unwilling subject
• Recognizing cell types and body fluids through RNA based techniques
• The category of flies that assembles on an inanimate body signifying the time of death
• Techniques to recognize the skeletal remains of human subject
• Techniques used in educing fingerprints from a crime setting
• The function of forensic science in tracing recipients of human trafficking
• Strategies and apparatus used by forensic pathologists
• The significance of the Muscid fly to forensic science

Computer Forensics Research Topic

Computer forensic is a developing field in criminology to which is an impact on other disciplines most notable in the legal system. Students who are interested in the study of computer forensic can construct a thesis that probes through the subject and its relationship to evolving aspects of criminology and the legal system.

Some digital forensics research topics will also help to give a better understanding. Below are some digital forensic topics for you!

• Digital forensic and occurrence response
• The employment of digital forensic to internet crime analysis and inquiry
• The satisfactory and spiteful sides of digital forensic
• A survey evaluation of digital forensics as equipment assisting a criminal investigation
• The necessity for standardization and accreditation in digital forensic
• Enriching the quality of digital forensic examination reports
• The analysis of networks in digital forensics
• Equipment used in digital forensics
• Examining and validating the digital forensic report
• The analysis of network in digital forensic

Forensics Debate Topics

Debate forensics speech topics are.

• The innovative nature of cybercrime
• The credibility of geomorphological forensic in solving crimes
• Soil mapping great assistance in providing solutions to crimes
• The credibility of audio recording in forensic science
• The essence of an eyewitness statement
• The dilemma that accompanied juvenile judgment
• Nanotechnology has an insight in the field of forensic
• Digital forensic has been of great use in solving cyber crimes

National Forensics League Topics

Some national forensic speech topics may include.

• The effect of age evaluation in forensic science
• A thorough recognition of the paradigms of forensic science
• Discuss the procedures of sanctioning forensic science laboratories
• The effect of visual color comparison in forensic science
• Parasites being one of the fastest Agent of Decomposition

Forensic Chemistry Research Topics

Chemistry forensic research paper topics may include:

• Assessment of the amino acid fingerprint test
• An intuition of Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry
• An evaluation of water-soluble paper for forensic segregation
• Are techniques of detection super-sensitive that they could lead to an error in conviction
• An evaluation of authenticity regarding the crime, it’s situation, and the people involved
• Discuss the process involved in the analysis of Y-chromosome
• Analyze a usual day in the office of a forensic chemist
• Expatiate on the limitation of using an environmental microscope
• The use of atomic force microscope in the science of forensic
• The function of paper spray mass Spectrometry in the recognition of perilous Chemicals

Forensic Medicine Thesis Topics

Forensic medicine deals mostly with examining and assessing individuals who have been wounded or may have passed away as a result of external or unnatural causes, such as suicide, poisoning, motor accidents, and other various forms of violence.

Examples of topics under forensic medicine thesis are:

• Analysis of spinal sustaining damages in fatal road accident
• Examination of sexual violence unnatural deaths
• Analysis of suicidal death among adolescents
• An analysis of snakebite occurrence admitted in the hospital
• A study of eventual suicidal death among females
• Study of lethal poisoning cases leading to gross stomach mucosal appearances
• Study of homicidal deaths
• Analysis of death due to thermal burns
• Examination of patient’s with CRANIO -CEREBRAL injuries
• An examination of dental eruption in children within the age group of 14 -16

Easy Forensic Science Research Topics

Are you in search of easy ways to find Forensic science topics for a research paper? Bother no more! Here are some topics just for you!

• Discuss the importance of a forensic scientist giving a Precise testimony
• An assessment of microscopic vetting techniques
• The influence of private companies organizing forensic science
• Validation to work as an independent specialist in the field of forensic science
• The usefulness of digital Forensic in Solving homicide cases
• Acquiring a proper Knowledge of the scientific and social surroundings of the criminal justice system
• Disciplines of criminal justice and the law that guides forensic
• Reasons why a vast number of forensic scientists work in forensic laboratories or morgues
• The methods in which forensic craft out objective facts with the use of scientific knowledge
• Ways forensic science assist in the analysis of physical evidence

So here we are! 120+ forensic science research topics just for you! Choose the topic that resonates with you the most and put in your best in the research or outsource it to an expert writing company! Don’t hesitate to reach a professional dissertation consultant and increase your chances of success!

Frequently Asked Questions

Richard Ginger is a dissertation writer and freelance columnist with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the writing industry. He handles every project he works on with precision while keeping attention to details and ensuring that every work he does is unique.

Succeed With A Perfect Dissertation

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

As Putin continues killing civilians, bombing kindergartens, and threatening WWIII, Ukraine fights for the world's peaceful future.

Ukraine Live Updates

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Meet top uk universities from the comfort of your home, here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

Forensic Science Dissertation Topics

• Updated on  
• Jan 5, 2023

The goal of forensic science as a discipline is to use scientific principles and practices to solve crimes. The term “ forensic science ” relates to an ongoing discussion that concerns the legal system. Therefore, forensic science is an important part of scientific processes, including specific procedures for identifying human wrongdoing. This programme of study primarily focuses on a broad range of disciplines, including doctorate research , forensic psychology , and computer forensics . If you are a candidate pursuing a degree in forensic science and you are frequently concerned about the subjects related to the forensic science dissertation then you have arrived at the right place. To know Forensic Science Dissertation Topics, Keep reading this blog!

Tips for Selecting a Forensic Science Dissertation Topic

Finding the perfect research topic is the first, and most difficult, step in the process of creating a research paper. There are several forensic science study subjects available in general. It is difficult to choose one ideal topic from such a diverse range of topics.

Sometimes you will be given the opportunity to select a good forensic science research paper topic instead of receiving essay questions. In this situation, be careful to pick a common topic and discuss it from several angles, or select a subject that demonstrates societal trends.

Here are some of the additional tips which you need to consider while searching for a suitable topic for your paper;

• Pick a subject related to your area of interest.
• Never choose a subject that is too narrow and has a wide range of potential investigations.
• Pick a subject that your intended audience will find fascinating and informative.

Pick a subject that has a large number of references.

• Pick a subject that will help you prove your major claims or arguments using reliable examples or facts.
• Only after it complies with your professor’s or university’s research paper writing requirements, if any, should you decide on a research topic.

List of Forensic Science Research/Thesis Topics

• Talk about the benefits and restrictions of DNA testing.
• What do the patterns in blood spatter reveal about a crime?
• Describe the benefits of handwriting analysis for forensic scientists .
• What do the results of the forensic science autopsy reports show?
• Compare sibling fingerprints with strangers.
• How many materials be identified with a thin layer and paper chromatography?
• Find out if the fingerprints of identical twins are comparable by doing some research.
• How to identify a wild animal’s dental pattern.
• Describe how forensic genealogy helps to solve long-standing cases.
• Describe the various sorts of stab wounds from the perspective of forensic science.
• How can a human’s face be recognised from the skeleton’s remains?
• What are the fundamentals of crime scene analysis?
• How might forensic science be used to locate human trafficking victims?
• Describe the regulations and rules that govern forensic science.
• Are common hair tests reliable for estimating race and solving crimes?
• How can victims be recognised from their skeletal remains?
• What procedures are used to test the DNA of unwilling subjects?
• How may RNA-based techniques be used to determine the type of cell and body fluid?
• Can forensic dentistry help with crime-solving?
• How can forensic anthropology be used to determine relationships, family, and ancestry?
• Describe the procedures used to collect DNA samples.
• How can the type of weapon use to be validated using forensic ballistics?
• Using the glass fracture pattern, determine the direction and range of the bullet’s impact.
• Describe how 3D imaging is used to visualize tyre and shoe prints at crime scenes.
• Describe how organic chemistry is used by forensic scientists to solve crimes.
• Law and forensic psychology are discussed.
• Fluid dynamics is used to evaluate bloody fingerprints at the crime scene.
• How does digital forensics alter the way killings are investigated?
• Describe the forensic science instruments for the study of microbiomes.
• Discuss the role that databases and search engines played in forensic investigation.

Must Read: PhD in Data Science in USA

• How do visual colour comparisons affect forensic science?
• Use forensic science to look into sudden cardiac death.
• When performing forensics , consider religious issues.
• Talk about how television and film have affected forensic science.
• Recognize the boundaries of forensic science and professional expertise.
• What are the effective ways to preserve evidence in lengthy cases?
• Conduct a forensic science contextual examination of digital stratigraphy.
• How can controlled chemicals be used in a forensic investigation?
• Develop methods for locating and identifying novel medications.
• Evaluate forensic science’s utility in criminal law.
• How can forensic analysis be used to identify those responsible for fire and arson?
• What does forensic science in wildlife hold for the future?
• Analyze forensic nursing’s usage of simulation.
• The importance of forensic toxicology in examining how anti-stress medications affect military personnel
• Studies of blood splatter help forensic scientists solve crimes.
• DNA from mitochondria skeletal remains analysis: a description of the process
• What a bullet may reveal about a crime and the weapon used is known as forensic ballistics.
• Putting together the pieces of the criminal jigsaw using forensic evidence
• Determining the victim’s age, gender, and size using forensic anthropology .

While selecting forensic science dissertation topics, students should remember that, no matter what they decide to write on, it is crucial to properly identify your research question or issue, provide logical support, and have a well-elaborated body and a brief conclusion in order to score well. 

Ballistics, Digital evidence, DNA & biological evidence and Drugs & toxicology to name a few.

In order to pursue forensic science, it is preferable to select the science stream, which offers courses in physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics.

From 2021 to 2031, it is anticipated that the employment of forensic science technicians will increase by 11%, substantially faster than the average for all occupations.

We hope that this blog has given you a broad range of information and would definitely help you in selecting Forensic Science Dissertation Topics for your research. Follow Leverage Edu for more interesting articles.

Nidhi Mishra

Nidhi Mishra is an educator who also enjoys writing content. She has earned an undergraduate degree in Mass Communication, B.Ed, and post graduation in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Organizational Behavior. She has a wide range of expertise creating content for a number of educational niches, including K–12, experiential learning, teachers' and employees' training to name a few.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

Connect With Us

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. take the first step today..

Resend OTP in

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

January 2024

September 2024

What is your budget to study abroad?

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Have something on your mind?

Make your study abroad dream a reality in January 2022 with

India's Biggest Virtual University Fair

Essex Direct Admission Day

Why attend .

Don't Miss Out

Topics and Ideas for Forensic Science Dissertation and Papers

Forensic Science is an exciting field that opens many opportunities in law enforcement, investigations, national intelligence, and almost every other area. If you are pursuing an undergraduate, master’s, or Ph.D. in forensic science, you will probably be required to write a dissertation.

As we have stated before, writing a dissertation is a lengthy process that begins with choosing a good topic. Therefore, you will eventually need to find and select topics for a forensic science dissertation.

Forensic science involves applying scientific methods and techniques in solving crimes, covering computing, crime scene processing, anthropology, geology, and psychology. Forensic science students must write critical, well-researched, and original dissertations to attain their forensic degree.

Following the guide to choosing the best dissertation topics , we have tried to formulate some original, never-researched, engaging, and evergreen forensic science topics and ideas that anyone studying forensic science can choose for their dissertation.

Should you need help with your forensic science dissertation , do not hesitate to contact us through chat for the best way forward. You can also place your order by filling out the order form on our homepage.

Interesting Forensic Science Dissertation Topics and Ideas

• Role of forensic psychology in criminal investigations
• The challenges facing the implementation of forensic science in law enforcement agencies
• The development of forensic science in the recent five years
• Role of collaboration and cooperation in the global growth of forensic science
• Impacts of technological advancements and innovations in the field of forensic science
• The role of physical evidence in forensic investigations
• Forensic scientists as expert witnesses in courts of law
• Application of botany and DNA science in forensic science
• Classification of crime scenes
• Role of forensic Science in solving cold cases
• The application of mathematical principles in forensic science
• Private forensic consultants vs. public forensic consultant’s growth in the past 5 years
• Role of forensic deontologists
• Collection, preservation, and management of forensic evidence
• The contribution of the Enlightenment era to forensic science
• The role of Ambroise Paré in laying the groundwork for forensic science
• Application of forensic Science and principles in John Tom’s trial and conviction
• Factors affecting forensic document examination
• Impact of crime scene photography on crime scene investigations
• Ways of securing a crime scene
• Role of DNA and biological evidence in Forensic Science
• Use of forensic techniques to determine opioids and drug abuse
• Use of trace evidence in forensic
• Forensic engineers in the construction industry
• The use of microscopy in forensic science
• Impacts of miniaturization and automation on forensic science
• Strategies for detecting occult blood from a crime scene
• How to collect sperm from a crime scene or evidence?
• Role of forensic scientists in arson and fire investigations
• Reliability, credibility, and admissibility of digital photographs
• Process of forensic DNA analysis
• Challenges facing forensic fingerprint identification
• Application of ground-penetrating radar and gamma-ray radiation in forensic investigations
• Role of forensic scientists in accident investigations
• Tool mark analysis to aid in the narrowing down to specific burglary suspects
• Role of forensic chemists in paint chip analysis
• The use of pollen and parasites in forensic science
• Nuclear forensic science as an emerging field
• The use of Raman spectroscopy in forensic science
• Integration of forensic examination into imagology
• Forensic Science in the USA vs. Europe
• Accuracy of racial estimation in standard hair tests
• Packaging forensic evidence and chain of custody
• Role of religion in forensic science practice
• Consent and confidentiality in forensic investigations
• The role of paper spray mass spectrometry in detecting hazardous chemicals
• Benefits of having a national ballistics database
• The benefits of the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN)
• The INTERPOL Ballistic Information Network
• Error rates in forensic science investigations
• The link between bioinformatics and forensic science
• The role of 5-G as a game changer in forensic science
• The use of drones and photogrammetry in forensic science
• Application of digital forensic Science in the age of IoT
• Reliability of eye-witness testimonies in corroborating forensic evidence
• Role of forensic accountants
• Reliability of tools used in digital forensics
• Daubert Standard in forensic methodology
• Role of digital forensic scientists in determining cyber fraud
• Role of forensic investigators in murder investigations involving serial killers
• The process of forensic bite-mark analysis
• Material science and forensic investigations
• Quantitative and qualitative research by forensic scientists
• Glass particles analysis to determine burglary suspects
• The use of fiber analysis to narrow down to specific suspects
• Role of forensic nurses in handling victims of sexual abuse
• Impacts of forensic serology on criminal investigations
• Forensic accounting in the healthcare industry

Forensic Anthropology Topics and Ideas

• The significance of forensic anthropology in postwar investigations: A case of the Ukraine-Russia War
• Applications of modeling and simulation in forensic anthropology
• The use of Forensic Anthropology in human rights investigations
• Contribution of forensic anthropology in the identification of victims from mass graves
• Strategies used by forensic anthropologists in field studies
• The qualities of good forensic anthropologists
• The evolution and growth of forensic anthropology
• Contribution of forensic anthropology in the identification process in Croatia
• Strategies forensic anthropologists use to estimate the cause of death from bones
• Role of forensic anthropologists in drug trafficking investigations
• How forensic anthropologists can help solve the civil war
• Strategies to strengthen forensic anthropology in developing nations
• Technologies used by forensic anthropologists
• Contribution of forensic anthropology to genocide investigations
• Role of forensic anthropologists in solving the Syrian war crimes
• The evolution and advancement of forensic anthropology in South Africa
• The use of forensic anthropology in Europe
• How forensic anthropologists can help determine the country of origin of stowaways
• Qualitative techniques used by forensic anthropologies in field studies
• The use of computed tomography (CT) in forensic anthropology
• The use of anthropometrics in estimating the age and race of human remains
• Problems associated with age estimation of underage persons who appear in child pornography material
• Age estimation using London Atlas methodology
• The effectiveness of 2D and 3D methods in the analysis of experimental bite marks
• Difficulties in personal identification caused by unreliable dental records
• Challenges forensic anthropologists face with identifying victims of explosions
• Challenges and wins of forensic anthropology in Portugal
• Reflections on forensic anthropology standards today
• Role of forensic anthropologists in army investigations
• Role of forensic anthropologists in air crash investigations
• Factors affecting successful forensic anthropology investigations
• Role of forensic anthropologists in the excavation of skeletal remains
• How forensic anthropologists help document history accurately
• Benefits of documented skeletal collections
• History and significance of American physical anthropology
• Theoretical frameworks in forensic anthropology research
• Ethical issues in the field of forensic anthropology
• The accuracy of Skeletal age determination based on the OS pubis
• Implications of African American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act on forensic anthropology practice in America
• Benefits of a forensic data bank to document skeletal trends in a country
• The application of advanced imaging in forensic anthropology
• Education and training in forensic anthropology
• Perceptions of new anthropologists on the future of the field
• The application of mitochondrial DNA in forensic anthropology and archeology investigations

Forensic Toxicology Topics and Ideas for Dissertations

• The application of chromatographic fingerprint analysis
• Role of forensic toxicology in death investigations
• Application of forensic toxicology to identify causes of death in drug mules
• Application of human performance toxicology
• Overview of forensic drug testing in America
• Hair testing for drugs of abuse
• The use of mass spectrometry analysis in forensic urine drug test laboratories
• Use of immunological techniques in forensic drug testing
• Non-invasive methods to obtain samples for drug testing in forensic laboratories
• Testing drugs of abuse from tears of drug trafficking suspects
• Strategies to detect drug abuse from sweat by forensic toxicologists
• Role of forensic toxicologists in processing a crime scene
• Strategies used by forensic toxicologists to maintain a proper chain of custody
• The role of forensic toxicologists as expert witnesses in courts of law
• The application of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in forensic toxicology labs
• Methodology and interpretation of toxicological procedures
• Biological sampling techniques used in forensic toxicology
• Modern instruments and methods in forensic toxicology
• Accreditation of forensic toxicology laboratories in America

Forensic Taphonomy Topics

• The link between forensic archeology, forensic taphonomy, and forensic anthropology
• The use of soil-based analysis in forensic taphonomy
• Advancements in the field of forensic taphonomy
• The application of entomology in forensic taphonomy
• Experimental design in forensic taphonomy
• Digital imaging techniques in forensic taphonomy
• Career path and progress for a forensic Taphonomy expert
• Application of stratigraphy techniques in forensic taphonomy
• Uncovering mass graves through forensic taphonomy
• Role of forensic Taphonomy experts in solving boundary conflicts
• Grave excavation methods in forensic taphonomy

As You Prepare to Exit ...

We have explored over 140 dissertation topics suitable for forensic science dissertations. Our article is the best place to begin if you are a student undertaking any program related to forensic science and would need to develop a unique topic.

We have tried to narrow it down to forensic science branches to make identifying and picking the topics easier. Should you need help from an experienced forensic science writer, you should place an order, and they will suggest three issues for you and advise you on the next steps. We also do assignments, essays, term papers, and other homework in forensic science.

Do not hesitate to get help with any paper. Our rates are affordable and manageable, and we guarantee 100% plagiarism-free , original, and well-researched papers.

Check out our other articles.

• How to create a proposal for a dissertation
• How to write a term paper proposal
• How to write a research paper proposal
• Criminal justice research topics
• Psychology research paper topics.

Gradecrest is a professional writing service that provides original model papers. We offer personalized services along with research materials for assistance purposes only. All the materials from our website should be used with proper references. See our Terms of Use Page for proper details.

• Faculty Experts

TXST anthropology doctoral student receives the Jacob Hirsch Fellowship

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Kate Malazonia | June 6, 2024

Krysten Cruz, a Ph.D. candidate in the applied anthropology doctoral program at Texas State University, has been awarded the Jacob Hirsch Fellowship for the 2024-2025 award year. Cruz will use the fellowship, valued at nearly $20,000, to conduct research for her dissertation at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.

Education and Training

Cruz became interested in anthropology after taking an introductory course during her undergraduate degree at TXST. She went on to earn a master of arts in anthropology focusing on biological and forensic anthropology, also at TXST. However, her love of biological anthropology began during a school field trip in Spain.

“I was able to work with archaeological skeletal material all day for three weeks and hone my osteology skills,” Cruz said. “I absolutely loved it and knew I wanted to pursue biological anthropology and human osteology. I then volunteered at the forensic anthropology facilities, which helped solidify this passion.”

Notably, Cruz is a two-time recipient of the Graduate College Scholarship (2021 and 2023) and a 2024 Fulbright U.S. Student Program semi-finalist for Greece. Cruz has also received the following fellowships to support her fieldwork and dissertation research:

• G.E. Wright/Shirlee Meyers Fellowship from the American Society of Overseas Research (2022)
• William Sanders Scarborough Fellowship from the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (2023)
• Graduate College Doctoral Research Fellowship from Texas State University (2024)

Research Interests

Her dissertation is a study of the kinship and mortuary practices of the early Mycenaean community at the Ancient Eleon archaeological site, which is in central Greece.

“I am trying to assess whether biological relationships or social relationships were more important to this community by investigating who they included in their communal tombs and funerary rituals,” she said.

Her research intends to shed light on mortuary practices during a period of increased social complexity and stratification and will help anthropologists understand the degree to which this community was adopting practices from the Mycenaean kingdoms.

The Jacob Hirsch Fellowship

The Jacob Hirsch Fellowship is designed for Ph.D. candidates and early-career scholars to work on their dissertation or other research projects that require a lengthy residence in Greece. It is provided by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and allows fellows to conduct their research at the school, which has libraries dedicated to Greek, Roman, and Classical literature.

There is also a state-of-the-art laboratory, the Malcom H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Science, where Cruz will be conducting the majority of her research.

While in Greece, Cruz will be collecting data for her dissertation using the dentition of individuals buried at Eleon and researching Mycenaean life and death.

“My time at the American School will allow me to complete my data collection and access relevant literature on this topic,” she said. “I will also have the opportunity to participate in academic trips with the other members of the school to learn more about different regions and time periods in Greece to contextualize this work.”

Cruz’s research advisor is Nicholas Herrmann, Ph.D., who she credits for expanding her skillset in anthropology and beyond.

"I have had opportunities to work on interdisciplinary projects from various time periods in a few different countries, including Greece, Cyprus, and the Republic of Georgia. His mentorship has been invaluable to my growth as an anthropologist.”

She also credits her academic department, saying, “Texas State University has an excellent anthropology program at all levels and has provided its students with incredible resources and guidance from faculty members.”

After this fellowship, Cruz hopes to pursue work in bioarchaeology or forensic anthropology and, eventually, teach at a university and mentor graduate students while conducting her research in the summer.

Future Applicants

Cruz credits The Graduate College’s external funding coordinators for helping her submit the best application she could.

“It can certainly be a lot of work, but it is worth it to have this level of help from such intelligent and dedicated people,” she said.

Visit  The Graduate College website for more information about programs and funding.

Share this article

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Submit to Reddit
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share using Email

• Accountancy and Control (master)
• Accountancy and Control (premaster)
• Actuarial Science (bachelor)
• Actuarial Science and Mathematical Finance (master)
• American Studies (master)
• Ancient Studies (bachelor)
• Arabische taal en cultuur (bachelor)
• Arbeidsrecht (master)
• Archaeology (master)
• Archaeology (premaster)
• Archaeology (bachelor), EN
• Archaeology and Heritage (research master)
• Archeologie (bachelor), NL
• Archival and Information Studies (duale master)
• Art and Performance Research Studies (research master)
• Artificial Intelligence (master)
• Bèta-gamma (bachelor)
• Bioinformatics and Systems Biology (master, joint degree)
• Biological Sciences (master)
• Biologie (bachelor)
• Biomedical Sciences (master)
• Biomedische wetenschappen (bachelor)
• BMS: Cell Biology and Advanced Microscopy (master)
• BMS: Cognitive Neurobiology and Clinical Neurophysiology (master)
• BMS: Developmental and Therapeutic Biology (master)
• BMS: Experimental Internal Medicine (master)
• BMS: Infection and Immunity (master)
• BMS: Medical Biochemistry and Biotechnology (master)
• BMS: Molecular Neurosciences (master)
• BMS: Oncology (master)
• BMS: Physiology of Synapses and Networks (master)
• BMS: Psychopharmacology and Pathophysiology (master)
• Boekwetenschap (master)
• Boekwetenschap (schakelprogramma)
• Brain and Cognitive Sciences (research master)
• BS: Ecology and Evolution (master)
• BS: Freshwater and Marine Biology (master)
• BS: General Biology (master)
• BS: Green Life Sciences (master)
• Business Administration (bachelor)
• Business Administration (master)
• Business Administration (premaster)
• Business Analytics (bachelor)
• Business Economics (master)
• Business Economics (premaster)
• Chemistry (master, joint degree)
• Chemistry (premaster)
• Chemistry: Analytical Sciences (master, joint degree)
• Chemistry: Molecular Sciences (master, joint degree)
• Chemistry: Science for Energy and Sustainability (master, joint degree)
• Child Development and Education (research master)
• Classics and Ancient Civilizations (master)
• Cognition, Language and Communication (bachelor)
• Commerciële rechtspraktijk (master)
• Communicatiewetenschap (bachelor)
• Communication and Information (duale master)
• Communication Science (bachelor)
• Communication Science (master)
• Communication Science (premaster)
• Communication Science (research master)
• Comparative Cultural Analysis (master)
• Comparative Literature (master)
• Computational Science (master, joint degree)
• Computational Social Science (bachelor)
• Computer Science (master, joint degree)
• Conflict Resolution and Governance (master)
• Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage (master)
• Cultural Analysis (research master)
• Cultural and Social Anthropology (master)
• Cultural and Social Anthropology (premaster)
• Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (bachelor)
• Culturele antropologie en ontwikkelingssociologie (bachelor)
• Cultuurwetenschappen (bachelor)
• Curating Art and Cultures (duale master)
• Data Science (master)
• Data Science and Business Analytics (master)
• Documentaire en fictie (duale master)
• Duits, Educatie en communicatie (master)
• Duits, Educatie en communicatie (schakelprogramma)
• Duitslandstudies (bachelor)
• Duitslandstudies (master)
• Earth Sciences (master)
• East European Studies (master)
• Econometrics (master)
• Econometrics (premaster)
• Econometrics and Data Science (bachelor)
• Economics (master)
• Economics (premaster)
• Economics and Business Economics (bachelor)
• Engels, Educatie en communicatie (master)
• Engels, Educatie en communicatie (schakelprogramma)
• English Language and Culture (bachelor)
• English Literature and Culture (master)
• Entrepreneurship (master)
• ES: Environmental Management (master)
• ES: Future Planet Ecosystem Science (master)
• ES: Geo-Ecological Dynamics (master)
• European Competition Law and Regulation (master)
• European Policy (master)
• European Private Law (master)
• European Studies (bachelor)
• European Studies (premaster)
• European Union Law (master)
• Europese studies (bachelor)
• Exchange programme Economics and Business
• Exchange programme Humanities
• Exchange programme Law - Amsterdam Law School
• Exchange programme PPLE - Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics
• Exchange programme Science
• Exchange programme Social and Behavioural Sciences
• Film Studies (master)
• Filosofie (bachelor)
• Filosofie (master)
• Finance (master)
• Fiscaal Recht (bachelor)
• Fiscaal Recht (master)
• Fiscale Economie (bachelor)
• Fiscale Economie (master)
• Fiscale Economie (premaster)
• Forensic Science (master)
• Frans, Educatie en communicatie (master)
• Frans, Educatie en communicatie (schakelprogramma)
• Franse taal en cultuur (bachelor)
• Future Planet Studies (bachelor)
• Geneeskunde (bachelor)
• Geneeskunde (master)
• Geneeskunde (schakelprogramma)
• General Linguistics (master)
• Geschiedenis (bachelor)
• Geschiedenis (master)
• Geschiedenis (research master)
• Geschiedenis (schakelprogramma)
• Geschiedenis van de internationale betrekkingen (master)
• Geschiedenis, Educatie en communicatie (master)
• Gezondheidsrecht (master)
• Gezondheidszorgpsychologie (master)
• Global Arts, Culture and Politics (bachelor)
• Griekse en Latijnse taal en cultuur (bachelor)
• Hebreeuwse taal en cultuur (bachelor)
• Heritage and Memory Studies (duale master)
• Holocaust and Genocide Studies (master)
• Human Geography (master)
• Human Geography (premaster)
• Human Geography and Planning (bachelor)
• Identity and Integration (master)
• Informatica (bachelor)
• Informatiekunde (bachelor)
• Informatierecht (master)
• Information Studies (master)
• Information Systems (master)
• Interdisciplinaire sociale wetenschap (bachelor)
• Internationaal en Europees belastingrecht (master)
• International and Transnational Criminal Law (master)
• International Criminal Law - Joint programme with Columbia Law School (master)
• International Development Studies (master)
• International Development Studies (premaster)
• International Development Studies (research master)
• International Dramaturgy (duale master)
• International Dramaturgy and Theatre Studies (premaster)
• International Tax Law (advanced master)
• International Trade and Investment Law (master)
• Italië Studies (bachelor)
• Jewish Studies (master)
• Journalism, Media and Globalisation (Erasmus Mundus Master's - joint degree)
• Journalistiek en media (duale master)
• Kunst, cultuur en politiek (master)
• Kunst, cultuur en politiek (schakelprogramma)
• Kunstgeschiedenis (bachelor)
• Kunstgeschiedenis (master)
• Kunstgeschiedenis (schakelprogramma)
• Kunstmatige intelligentie (bachelor)
• Language and Society (master)
• Language, Literature and Education (master)
• Language, Literature and Education (premaster)
• Latin American Studies (master)
• Latin American Studies (premaster)
• Law & Finance (master)
• Lerarenopleidingen
• Linguistics (bachelor)
• Linguistics (premaster)
• Linguistics and Communication (research master)
• Literary and Cultural Analysis (bachelor)
• Literary Studies (premaster)
• Literary Studies (research master)
• Literature, Culture and Society (master)
• Logic (master)
• Mathematics (master)
• Media and Culture (bachelor)
• Media and Information (bachelor)
• Media en cultuur (bachelor)
• Media Studies (premaster)
• Media Studies (research master)
• Medical Anthropology and Sociology (master)
• Medical Anthropology and Sociology (premaster)
• Medical informatics (master)
• Medische informatiekunde (bachelor)
• Midden-Oostenstudies (master)
• Midden-Oostenstudies (schakelprogramma)
• Militaire geschiedenis (master)
• Museum Studies (duale master)
• Music Studies (master)
• Music Studies (premaster)
• Muziekwetenschap (bachelor)
• Natuurkunde en sterrenkunde (bachelor, joint degree)
• Nederlands als tweede taal en meertaligheid (duale master)
• Nederlands als tweede taal en meertaligheid (schakelprogramma)
• Nederlands, Educatie en communicatie (master)
• Nederlands, Educatie en communicatie (schakelprogramma)
• Nederlandse taal en cultuur (bachelor)
• Nederlandse taal en cultuur (master)
• New Media and Digital Culture (master)
• Nieuwgriekse taal en cultuur (bachelor)
• Onderwijswetenschappen (bachelor)
• Onderwijswetenschappen (master)
• Onderwijswetenschappen (schakelprogramma)
• (Forensische) Orthopedagogiek (schakelprogramma)
• Oudheidwetenschappen (bachelor)
• P&A: Advanced Matter and Energy Physics (master, joint degree)
• P&A: Astronomy and Astrophysics (master, joint degree)
• P&A: Biophysics and Biophotonics (master, joint degree)
• P&A: General Physics and Astronomy (master, joint degree)
• P&A: GRAPPA - Gravitation, Astro-, and Particle Physics (master, joint degree)
• P&A: Science for Energy and Sustainability (master, joint degree)
• P&A: Theoretical Physics (master, joint degree)
• Pedagogical Sciences (master)
• Pedagogische wetenschappen (bachelor)
• Pedagogische wetenschappen (master)
• Philosophy (master)
• Philosophy (research master)
• Philosophy of the Humanities and the Social Sciences (master)
• Philosophy of the Humanities and the Social Sciences (schakelprogramma)
• Physics and Astronomy (master, joint degree)
• Political Science (bachelor)
• Political Science (master)
• Political Science (premaster)
• Politicologie (bachelor)
• PPLE - Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics (bachelor)
• Preservation and Presentation of the Moving Image (duale master)
• Preventieve jeugdhulp en opvoeding (schakelprogramma)
• Privaatrechtelijke rechtspraktijk (master)
• Psychobiologie (bachelor)
• Psychologie (schakelprogramma)
• Psychologie (bachelor), NL
• Psychologie (master), NL
• Psychology (premaster)
• Psychology (bachelor), EN
• Psychology (master), EN
• Psychology (research master), EN
• Public International Law (master)
• Publieksgeschiedenis (master)
• Rechtsgeleerdheid (bachelor)
• Rechtsgeleerdheid met HBO-vooropleiding (schakelprogramma)
• Rechtsgeleerdheid met WO-vooropleiding (schakelprogramma)
• Redacteur/editor (duale master)
• Religiewetenschappen (bachelor)
• Religious Studies (research master)
• Russische en Slavische studies (bachelor)
• Scandinavië studies (bachelor)
• Scheikunde (bachelor, joint degree)
• Security and Network Engineering (master)
• Sign Language Linguistics (bachelor)
• Social Sciences (research master)
• Sociale geografie en Planologie (bachelor)
• Sociologie (bachelor)
• Sociology (bachelor)
• Sociology (master)
• Sociology (premaster)
• Software Engineering (master)
• Spaanse en Latijns-Amerikaanse studies (bachelor)
• Spirituality and Religion (master)
• Spirituality and Religion (schakelprogramma)
• Staats- en bestuursrecht (master)
• Stads- en architectuurgeschiedenis (master)
• Stochastics and Financial Mathematics (master)
• Strafrecht (master)
• Taalwetenschappen (bachelor)
• Technology Governance (advanced master)
• Television and Cross-Media Culture (master)
• Theaterwetenschap (bachelor)
• Theatre Studies (master)
• Universitaire Pabo van Amsterdam (bachelor)
• Urban and Regional Planning (master)
• Urban and Regional Planning (premaster)
• Urban Studies (research master)
• Vertalen (master)
• Vertalen (schakelprogramma)
• Wiskunde (bachelor)

Presentation Master's thesis - Artemis Avrantini - social psychology

Roeterseilandcampus - Building G, Street: Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, Room: GS.05