ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 590 / C&RL News ■ October 2003 IN T E R N E T R E SO U R C E S Sources for scholars and aficionados by Kristine M. Alpi D isclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the New York City Depart­ ment of Health and Mental Hygiene. Reference herein to any specific Web site does not constitute or imply its endorsement by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. S ome of the most popular television shows in the past few years have focused on the appli­ cation of forensic science to criminal investiga­ tion. CSI, CSI M iam i, and F oren sic F iles h av e brought the terms and techniques of forensic sci­ ence to a wide audience. A few forensic science Web sites, such as the Forensic Science Service site (http://www.forensic.gov.uk), even announce when TV shows related to their area of expertise will air. The sources discussed here will enrich both scholars and aficionados of crime investigation. F oren sic scien ce refers to the application of principles and methods of science and medicine to legal questions of a criminal or civil nature.1 Forensic science resources— 101 sites in all—were profiled in the spring 2003 issue of Issues in S ci­ en ce & Technology L ibrαriα n sh ip 2 and many of those sites are also included here, though with annotations from a different perspective. Foren­ sic science includes many specialty areas and not all resources are free. This article focuses on free Web sites and includes a section on medical death investigation. Directory resources • Forensic-Evidence.com . This informa­ tion center in forensic science, law, and public policy is maintained by Andre A. Moenssens, the Douglas Stripp/Missouri professor of law emeri­ tus at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Sign up to be informed automatically when new postings are added. Access: http://www.forensic- evidence.com. • F o re n sic Scien ce R esources—Sum­ mary. National Criminal Justice Reference Service. This summary provides sections on back­ ground history, legislation, and statistics from a variety of sources. Publications, programs, train­ ing, and additional resources flesh out this reliable and well-documented site. Sign up for JUSTĪNFO to receive e-mail updates on topics of interest that you select. Forensics is only one of the many options. A ccess: http://www.ncjrs.org/forensic/ summary.html. • Reddy’s Forensic Page. Links to all sorts of forensic science sites abound on this site ere- About the author Kristine M. Alpi is library manager o f the Public Health Library o f the New York City Department o f Health ‹S Mental Hygiene, e-mail: kalpi@health.nyc.gov. Criminal investigation and forensic science http://www.forensic.gov.uk http://www.forensic- http://www.ncjrs.org/forensic/ mailto:kalpi@health.nyc.gov C&RL News • O ctober 2003 / 591 ated by Reddy P. Chamakura, a forensic scientist with the New York City Police Department’s Po­ lice Laboratory,. Many of the URLs have changed, but a wealth of active and useful links on topics from arson to toxicology remain. Access: http:// www.forensicpage.com. • Zeno’s Forensic Site. This extensive and regularly updated site from Zeno Geradts, a fo­ rensic scientist at the Netherlands Forensic Insti­ tute, offers many general information resources as well as sections of links on forensic medicine, forensic science, and forensic psychiatry. Access: http://forensic .to/ forensic. html. E-journals, databases, and handbooks Forensic science journals available by subscrip­ tion are listed in the article “Forensic Science Re­ sources on the Internet.”3 The most complete in­ dexing for forensic science literature—the FORS CD-ROM database, produced by the Forensic Sci­ ence Service (http://www.forensic.gov.uk)— is not available on the Internet. CRC Press offers FORENSICnetBASELaw/ENFORCEMENTnetBASE, a subscription service for online forensic science books. • Crim e and Clues: The Art and Sci­ en ce o f Crim inal Investigation. This col­ lection of articles about crime scene investigation from a variety of practitioners is hosted by Daryl W. Clemens, a crime scene technician. A ccess: http://www.crimeandclues.com/index.htm. • Fo ren sic Science Com m unications. This journal is published quarterly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Access: http://www.fbi. gov/hq/lab/fsc/current/index.htm. • H andbook o f F oren sic Services. The handbook provides guidance and procedures for collecting and preserving evidence. It describes the forensic examinations performed by the FBI Laboratory. Access: http://www.fbi.gov/hq/lab/ handbook/intro.htm. • I n t e r n a tio n a lJ o u r n a l o f D ig ita l E v i­ d e n c e (IJD E ). IJDE is a free quarterly online journal for discussion of theory, research, policy, and practice in the rapidly changing field of digital evidence. It is supported by two or­ ganizations at Utica College. A ccess: http:// www.ijde.org/. • National Crim inal Ju stice R eference Service Abstracts Database. Several key jour­ nals in forensic science are indexed by this free online database, which includes a thesaurus with a range of relevant subject headings from forensic anthropology to time-of-offense determination. A ccess: http://abstractsdb.ncjrs.org/. Organizations • Am erican Academy o f Foren sic Sci­ en ces (AAFS). The AAFS publishes the Jo u r- n al o fF orensic Sciences, for which they provide a searchable online index from 1981 onward. Ca­ reer and educational opportunities, including a special page called the “Young Forensic Scientists Forum,” make this site valuable for aspiring and practicing forensic scientists. A ccess: http:// www.aafs.org/. • American Academy o f Psychiatry and th e Law (AAPL). This organization consists of psychiatrists dedicated to practice, teaching, and research in forensic psychiatry, a subspecialty of psychiatry in which scientific and clinical ex­ pertise is applied to legal issues regarding civil, criminal, and correctional or legislative matters. Content includes a code of ethics, table of con­ tents to Jo u r n a l o f th e A m erican A cadem y o f Psychiatry am d the Law, and selected articles from the “AAPL Newsletter.” A ccess: http://www. emory.edu/AAPL/. • A m erican Board o f F oren sic Docu­ m ent Examiners. The application of allied sci­ ences and analytical techniques to questions con­ cerning documents is termed forensic document examination. Use this site to read articles about document examination or locate an expert on document analysis. Access: http://www.abfde.oig. • A m erican B oard o f Fo ren sic Odon­ tology. Dental identification and bitemark guide­ lines are just two of the resources here. There are site links to the American Society of Forensic Odontology (http://www.forensicdentistryonline. org/) and many other organizations and individual practitioners. A ccess: http://www.abfo.org/. • A m erican Society o f Crim e Labora­ to ry D irectors (ASCLD). The ASCLD is a nonprofit professional society formed in 1974 de­ voted to the improvement of crime laboratory operations. The accreditation section provides a list of accredited forensic science laboratories. A ccess: http://www.ascld.org/. • Association o f Firearm and Tool Mark E xam in ers (AFTE). The AFTE publishes the AFTEJ ou rn al and this site includes a PDF index. http://www.forensicpage.com http://forensic http://www.forensic.gov.uk)%e2%80%94is http://www.crimeandclues.com/index.htm http://www.fbi http://www.fbi.gov/hq/lab/ http://www.ijde.oig/ http://abstractsdb.ncjrs.org/ http://www.aafs.org/ http://www http://www.abfde.oig http://www.forensicdentistryonline http://www.abfo.org/ http://www.ascld.org/ 592 / C&RL N e w s ■ O c to b e r 2003 Unique resources include a trigger pull database, a firearm brand/manufacturer cross-reference search, ammunition manufacturers and distribu­ tors; firearm manufacturers and distributors; and a list o f b a llis tic s lin k s. A ccess: http:// www.afte.org/. • Canadian Society o f Forensic Science (CSFS). The CSFS site includes a histoiy o f fo­ rensic science in Canada and links to the contents o f CSFS’s C anadian Society o f Forensic Science Jou rnal. Access: http://www.csfs.ca/index.htm. • The F o ren sic Science Society (FSS). The bibliography section o f this site contains a keyword searchable index to articles in the Jou r­ n al o f th e F oren sic S cien ce S ociety and S ci­ en ce & Ju stice. Search able databases o f Web site links and b o o k reviews are also available. A ccess: http://www.forensic-science-society. org.uk/. • In ternation al A ssociation fo r Identi­ fication (IAI). IAI offers training and edu ca­ tional opportunities in fingerprints, crime scene investigation, forensic photography and electronic imaging, firearms and tool marks, bloodstain pat­ tern identification, footwear and tire track analy­ sis, questioned documents, polygraph, forensic art, forensic odontology, innovative and general tech­ niques, and laboratory analysis. The association publishes the bimonthly Journal of Forensic Iden­ tification. Access: http://www.thaiai.org/. Inte rna tio na l A sso c ia tio n for Identification • The In tern ation al A ssociation o f F o ­ re n sic Toxicologists CπAFT). The O bser­ vatory section o f the TIAFT site provides a list of Web sites arranged by categories. Several o f the resources, such as the online proceedings data­ base, are open to members only. The e-mail list and online forum are open to all. The MS Library, a collection o f reference electron impact mass spectra o f drug derivatives produced by TIAFT members, is also available free with registration. Access: http://www.tiaft.org/. • S ociety o f F o re n s ic T o xico lo g ists (SOFT). SOFT com prises practicing forensic toxicologists and those interested in the disci­ pline. The site includes Forensic Toxicology Labo­ ratory Guidelines and Toxlinks, a searchable list o f Web links, including examples o f “illicit sites” for products to hinder accurate drug testing. Ac­ cess: http://www.soft-tox.org/. • Technical Working Group for Fire and E xp lo sion s (TWGFEX). TW GFEX position statements and document library provide a wealth of resources on fire debris analysis and the train­ ing o f e x p lo siv e analysts. A ccess: http:// www.ncfs.ucf.edu/twgfex/home.html. Entertainment • C ourt TV: Forensic Files. Court TV has created a virtual forensics lab to explore tech­ niques used in crime investigation. Each room of the virtual lab covers a different forensic tech­ nique, including DNA evidence, bite marks, blood splatter, time o f death, and more. See also “Fo­ rensics in the Classroom, ” a set o f cases created in partnership with the American Academy o f Fo­ rensic Sciences. The resource content at http:// www.forensicfiles.com/resourcecontent.html in­ troduces forensic experts and defines tern s they use. Access: http://www.courttv.com/onair/ shows/forensicfiles/index2.hml. • CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The CSI Web site on CBS.com is focused on the televi­ sion show and its cast, but does offer some foren­ sic science information. There is a black-and-white virtual crime lab that provides the names o f key equipment when you move your mouse over the image. The handbook section includes definitions o f tools, evidence and procedures, only some of w hich have images. T he CSI M iam i Web site (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/csi_miami/) offers a color crime lab with better interactivity; the handbook content appears to b e the same. Access: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/csi/ main.shtml. Specific disciplines in forensic science • Crim e-Scene-Investigation.net. The Crime Scene Investigator Network, based in Temecula, California, maintains this starting point for crime scene investigation links and articles. Sections include crime scene response and evi­ dence collection guidelines, crime scene and evi­ dence photography, training and employment, and a bookstore. A list of crime scene supply vendors is also included. Sign up to receive the “Crime Scene Investigation Newsletter” via e-mail. Ac- cess: http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/ index.html. • DNA F o r e n s ic s —H u m a n G en om e P roject In form ation . This Departm ent o f Energy site answers basic questions about DNA analysis techniques and introduces ethical and prac- http://www.afte.org/ http://www.csfs.ca/index.htm http://www.forensic-science-society http://www.thaiai.org/ http://www.tiaft.org/ http://www.soft-tox.org/ http://www.ncfs.ucf.edu/twgfex/home.html http://www.forensicfiles.com/resourcecontent.html http://www.courttv.com/onair/ http://www.cbs.com/primetime/csi_miami/ http://www.cbs.com/primetime/csi/ http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/ C&RL News ■ O ctober 2003 / 593 tical issues in DNA databanking. Links to further reports and interesting cases provide further points for exploration. A ccess: http://www.ornl.gov/ T ech R eso u rce s/ H u m an _G en o m e / elsi/ forensics.html. • Fo ren sic Art. Wesley Neville, a forensic artist with the Florence County Sheriff's Office in Florence, South Carolina, and a member of die International Association for Identification foren­ sic art subcommittee, created this site to explain forensic art and provide a referral service. Anima­ tions and graphics supplement the explanations. The red print on black background is hard to read online. A ccess: http://www.forensicartist.com/. • Fo ren sic Botany. The Forensic Botany site is a project in the Web Literacy For the Natu­ ral Sciences class at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. The site introduces subdisciplines of plant science relevant to forensic biology, with background information and case studies: palynol- ogy (study of pollen), anatomy and dendrochro­ nology (study of tree rings), limnology (study of freshwater ecology), systematics, ecology, and mo­ lecular biology. A ccess: http://www.dal.ca/ ~ d p / w e b lite r a c y / p r o je c ts / fo r e n s ic / vandommelenst.html. • Fo ren sic Dentistry Online. This site, sponsored by Forensic Dental Services, a United Kingdom partnership, offers the following topi­ cal divisions, many with sample cases and inter­ active quizzes: bitemarks, identification, legal, DNA, mass disasters. Featured services include find an odontologist, get e-mail updates, or view o n lin e le c tu r e s . A c c ess: http://www. forensicdentristryonline.org/. • Forensic Entom ology Pages, Interna­ tio n a l This excellent introductory site was cre­ ated by Morten Stærkeby, a graduate student at the University of Oslo. Although it has not been updated in a year, the site provides a variety of wonderful resources, including an interactive fo­ rensic entomology quiz and a link to the forensic entomology discussion list. A ccess: http:// folk.uio.no/mostarke/forens_ent/forensic_ entomology.html. • Marks Working Group-European Net­ w o rk o f Foren sic Science Institutes. This working group brings together examiners work­ ing with shoeprint, toolmark, and other types of visual mark comparisons. Full-text of the “Infor­ mation Bulletin for Shoeprint/Toolmark Exam­ iners” is available on the site. A ccess: http:// www.intermin.fi/intermin/hankkeet/wgm/ home.nsf/. Medical death investigation • Armed F o rces Institute o f Pathology (AFIP). A small part of the AFIP site, the Of­ fice of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, of­ fers autopsy diagrams and Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory resources, including a request form for protocols. A ccess: http:// www.afip.oig/. • Disaster M ortuary O perational Re­ sp onse Teams (DMORT). DMORT is a pro­ gram of the U.S. Department of Homeland Secu­ rity that assists local authorities during a Mass Fatality Incident, which is an incident in which more deaths occur than can be handled by local resources. Access: http://www.dmort.org. • Investigative and Foren sic Sciences, N ational In stitu te o f J u s tic e (N IJ). NIJ sponsors research, development, and evalua­ tion of new and existing forensic technologies and methods. Publications on this site include the report “Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology” and the N IJJ o u r n a l. D eath In ­ v estig ation : A G u id ef o r th e S cen e In v estig a­ to r (http://www .ncjrs.org/pdffiles/l67568. pdf). A ccess: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/ sciencetech/ifs.htm. • Medical E xam in er and C oron er In­ form ation Sharing Program . This site from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention includes the “Death Investigation in the United States and Canada” manual and links to the death registrars for all states and major cities. A ccess: http://www.cdc.gov/epo/dphsi/mecisp/ index.htm. • Medicolegal Death Investigation Sys­ tem : W orkshop Summary. This 2003 report from the Committee for the Workshop on the Medicolegal Death Investigation System of the Institute o f Medicine is the beginning of a review of the role of the medical examiner/ coroner death investigation system and its promise for improving the criminal justice sys­ tem, health and medical care, public health surveillance, epidemiologic research, preven­ tion programs, and response to bioten'orism. A c c e s s : h ttp :/ / se arch .n ap .ed u / b o o k s/ 0309089867/html/. • National Association o f Medical E x ­ am iners (NAME) Web Site. “So You Want to Be a Medical Detective?” provides an introduction to the work of medical examiners. The library on this site includes guidelines and (con tin u ed on p a g e 6 09) http://www.ornl.gov/ http://www.forensicartist.com/ http://www.dal.ca/ http://www http://www.intermin.fi/intermin/hankkeet/wgm/ http://www.afip.oig/ http://www.dmort.org http://www http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/ http://www.cdc.gov/epo/dphsi/mecisp/ http://search.nap.edu/books/ C&RL News ■ O ctober 2003 / 609 Just as important, the e-selection tools proved to be good marketing and public relations mecha­ nisms for the library. Our library is perceived as a campus technology leader, a place where the staff continuously explores new tools and technologies to improve existing resources and services to bet­ ter serve our constituents. The benefits from us­ ing the tools are both tangible and intangible: wiser selections leading to improved collections, im­ proved faculty-librarian communication, greater understanding, and deeper collaboration. ( “T aking Im m ersion hom e, ” con tin u ed fr o m p a g • Focus on the long-term goal while celebrat­ ing successes along the way. • Begin with a small group of people and work toward incorporating a variety of ideas and tal­ ents from a variety of groups. • Build on the expertise and strengths of vet­ eran librarians and draw upon the enthusiasm and new ideas of new librarians. • Keep your focus on students and on their learning. • Share your experience with others. I wish each of you well with your information literacy initiatives on campuses large and small. Students will benefit from your creativity, caring, and perseverance. Thank you to the Immersion faculty8 for your commitment to creating quality educational ex­ periences for librarians who teach. Thank you to ACRL for sponsoring this national program each year and to the Wisconsin Association of Aca­ demic Librarian’s Information Literacy Commit­ tee for sponsoring the 2001 regional program. Immersion ’01 provided a learning experience well worth taking home. Notes 1. For more information, see www.acrl. org/immersion. ( “C r im in a l. . . ” c o n tin u ed f r o m p a g e 5 9 3 ) p o sitio n papers, the NAME newsletter, links to journal sites, legislation in­ formation, death investiga­ tion images, and a list of medical examiner and coroner offices, which as of September 1, 2003, onl y o ffe rs f our si t es. A c c e s s : www. thename.org/. E-selection tools can yield a high return with a minimal investment for an academic library of any size or collection scope. Having fewer or no paper selection cards to deal with is an added bonus about which few librarians or faculty can complain. Note 1. Operational details, screen shots, and de­ scriptive notes are provided at staff.philau.edu/ bells/eselect.htm. ■ e 5 8 8 ) 2. Association of College and Research Li­ braries, “Competency Standards for Higher Education,” T each er L ibrarian 28.3 (Feb. 2001): 16- 1 8 . 3. Visit the University of Tennessee’s informa­ tion literacy Web site at www.lib.utk.edu/instruc- tion/infolit/infolit. html. 4. Based on Debra Gilchrist’s presentation, “Improving Student Learning.” 5. From Angelo, Thomas A. and K. Patricia Cross. Classroom Assessment Techniques: A H and- book fo r College T eachers. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 1993. 6. Mark Battersby and the Learning Outcomes Network, “So What’s a Learning Outcome Any­ way?” Vancouver, B.C.: Centre for Curriculum, Transfer, and Technology. Available at www.c2t2. ca/page.asp?item_id=394&path=. 7. Patricia Iannuzzi, “Faculty Development and Information Literacy: Establishing Campus Partnerships,” R eferen ce S ew ices R eview (Fa l l Winter 1998): 97-102,116. 8. The Immersion faculty: Craig Gibson, George Mason University; Debra Gilchrist, Pierce College; Randy Burke Hensley, University of Ha- waii-Manoa; Beth S. Woodard, University of Illi­ nois at Urbana-Champaign; and Anne E. Zald, University of Washington. ■ Notes 1. Madeleine R. Nash and Richard L. Faraino, “Internet Resources in Legal Medicine and Foren­ sic Science,” M ed ical R eferen ce Services Q uar- teriy 18.1 (Spring 1999): 59-68. 2. Cynthia Holt, “Forensic Science Resources on the Internet” Issues in S cien ce a n d Technology Librarianship 37 (2003) [cited 1 September 20031. Available on the Web at www.istl.org/03-spring/ intemet.html. 3. Ibid. ■ http://www.acrl http://www.lib.utk.edu/instruc- http://www.c2t2 http://www.istl.org/03-spring/