Process: The research paper can be on anything related to Criminalistics / forensics, including crime scene investigation, firearms, toxicology, blood spatter, fingerprints, glass, hair and fiber evidence, etc

Process:

The research paper can be on anything related to Criminalistics / forensics, including crime scene investigation, firearms, toxicology, blood spatter, fingerprints, glass, hair and fiber evidence, etc.  Topics not acceptable for this project include the history of something (for example, the history of fingerprints; history of toxicology), papers involving psychology (for example, serial murderers), or case studies (no Jon Benet Ramsey papers, no Kennedy Assassination papers).  Also not acceptable are career related papers (for example, crime scene investigator, detective, police officer, etc.).  The focus of this paper should be on evidence and not people.  A paper may contain some history on the topic, but it should not be the bulk of your paper and no more than one or two paragraphs. 

Format

3 pages in 12-inch font using The APA 7 (American Psychological Association) format is most used in the social sciences for research papers and citing sources. Your research paper must follow APA formatting for in-text citing of sources, proper listing of sources in a “works cited” page, typed and double-spaced on standard size paper (8.5 X 11”), 1” margins on all sides, and numbered pages.  The paper must have a title page with the title of your paper, your name, date the paper is submitted, the name of the class and the name of your instructor. For citing sources using the APA format, refer to CCBC’s library site:

http://library.ccbcmd.edu/ 

 Scholarly Sources

 For this assignment, at least two scholarly sources are required.  Scholarly sources or journals are generally written for academic study, research, and specialized audiences. The articles usually include an abstract, discussion of methodology, footnotes, and bibliography. Scholarly periodicals will often use technical jargon specific to the subject matter. In this assignment, the technical jargon will be related to Criminalistics / forensic science, evidence, evidence collection, forensic testing, etc.  Online articles will need to have authors’ names, dates of publication, URL, and any other information associated with the article.

Some examples of scholarly journals in criminal justice include the following:

 Criminology, Justice Quarterly, Crime and Delinquency, Journal of Criminal Justice, American Journal of Criminal Justice, Police quarterly, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, Criminal Justice Ethics, American Journal of Police, Police Chief, National Sheriff, Corrections Today, etc.  Law journals, textbooks, and other types of books on the subject are also acceptable sources for this project.

A more complete list of academic journals can be found at http://www.tamut.edu/academics/tjordan/rsrchhlp/CJJOURNALSv2.htm.