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Courses >
Writing & Publishing > Demystifying Forensic Science: A Writer's Guide
 You've followed forensic investigators as they solve crimes in novels, movies, and TV shows, unearthing facts hidden from the normal human eye. And now you want forensics to play a starring role in your fiction, but you need a quick education on the subject. This course will reveal all the secrets you need to know in order to craft a gripping and realistic work of fiction.
During this six-week course, we'll explore how investigators analyze physical evidence, including blood, DNA, fingerprints, hair, documents, ammunition, and corpses. From the code-breaking tricks of the cyber-sleuth to the traditional procedures of the autopsy room, we'll look at the strengths and weaknesses of forensic technology. And we'll cover common misconceptions about forensic analysis found in films and novels, errors that you'll want to avoid in your own writing.
This course will also introduce you to the major players of a criminal investigation--the first responder, the lead investigator, and the crime scene experts--just the sort of people who make great characters. You'll meet forensic pioneers who can provide role models for fictional investigators. And you'll explore historical highlights of forensic crime detection, which will prove helpful when you write about historical periods other than our own.
This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Phillip Jones.
 Phillip Jones, Ph.D., J.D., a former science and medicine instructor, has practiced extensively in both scientific and legal arenas. As a fulltime freelance writer, Jones has published over 100 articles that blend science, law, and history. He earned a certificate in forensics and has published articles on forensic science and historically prominent criminal investigators in Forensic Nurse Magazine, The Strand Magazine, The Forensic Center Newsletter, Today's Science, Forensic Magazine, and Law and Order Magazine, as well as a mystery story in Futuristic. His writings in forensic science earned him associate membership with the Mystery Writers of America.
To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
Requirements:
A basic knowledge of high school science, Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).
Syllabus:
All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.
| Week One |
| Wednesday - Lesson 01 |
In this lesson, you'll discover how forensic evidence fuels a criminal investigation. We'll look at the many uses of forensic science—from the crime scene to the courtroom. And you'll find out about the professionals who extract clues from the scene of a crime: the first responder, lead investigator, crime scene specialists, and evidence analysts. You'll also find out how writers take advantage of the limitations of real forensic analysis to create plot twists.
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| Friday - Lesson 02 |
Investigators find a reddish stain at a crime scene. Is it blood? If so, is it human blood? If it is human, then whose blood is it? In this lesson, you'll learn how forensic scientists examine blood chemistry to answer these questions. We'll also explore how experts reconstruct a crime scene using the physical characteristics of blood. This is the science of blood spatter analysis, which we'll explore in this lesson. You'll also become familiar with classification and individualization, processes that can link a victim, a crime scene, and the perpetrator.
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| Week Two |
| Wednesday - Lesson 03 |
The year 1986 marked the first time that a scientist used DNA analysis to aid a criminal investigation. Since then, DNA profiling has emerged as a vital tool of law enforcement. In this lesson, you'll discover the techniques that forensic scientists have employed to analyze DNA, including current tactics supported by extensive DNA databanks. You'll also learn a few tricks that your fictional villains can use to duck DNA analysis.
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| Friday - Lesson 04 |
Edmond Locard, one of the true pioneers of forensic science, says that every contact leaves a trace. In this lesson, you'll see how trace evidence—hair, fibers, glass fragments, paint chips, and dirt—can link a suspect and a crime. We'll also see how fictional investigators have benefited from trace evidence analysis.
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| Week Three |
| Wednesday - Lesson 05 |
Do you know what a fire and an explosion have in common? Either can occur by accident or by design. And either may be used to commit a crime or to cover a crime. In this lesson, you'll discover how arson investigators determine the cause of a fire. Then, we'll explore techniques for examining the scene of an explosion. You'll also learn how your fictional protagonist can investigate a homicide-by-poison.
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| Friday - Lesson 06 |
Forensic ballistics has played a role in criminal investigations for over 200 years. In this lesson, you'll learn how experts currently perform forensic examinations of firearms. You'll find out how investigators determine the type of weapon used in a crime and link ammunition fragments to a weapon. You'll also learn about methods that experts use to reconstruct a shooting. How should your fictional investigators inspect the scene of a shooting? What can the evidence suggest about the crime? You'll learn the answer here.
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| Week Four |
| Wednesday - Lesson 07 |
In this lesson, you'll see how experts scrutinize one of the oldest types of evidence used in criminal investigations: fingerprints. You'll find out how your fictional crime scene specialists can visualize hidden fingerprints, and how experts can distinguish one fingerprint from another. You've undoubtedly seen movies or TV programs that show computers conclusively matching a suspect with a fingerprint scan. But did you know this just doesn't happen in real life? In today's lesson, you'll find out the real role computers play in fingerprint analysis.
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| Friday - Lesson 08 |
Fingers aren't the only things that leave impressions at crime scenes. Tools, feet, footwear, tires, palms, teeth, lips, and even ears leave prints, as well. Today, you'll learn how investigators use these marks, and which of these techniques are frowned upon most by judges. You'll also discover how some investigators scan a suspect's brain to examine a very different type of impression: those residing in memory.
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| Week Five |
| Wednesday - Lesson 09 |
In this lesson, you'll find out about two very different types of tracks: computer traces and audit trails. Computer forensic experts can use electronic evidence to establish that a crime has been committed or to link a crime with a victim or its perpetrator. You'll see how experts hunt down incriminating bits in a computer and the techniques used to thwart them. You'll also learn about forensic accounting, a specialty that has gained popularity in fact and in fiction.
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| Friday - Lesson 10 |
Today, you'll explore the contributions forensic document examiners make to an investigation. You'll find out how experts detect hidden writing, date documents, link a document with the machine that created it, and unmask forgeries. You'll also learn how adding a document examiner to your story can be of benefit. You'll even get a tip or two about what your fictional investigators should avoid when examining paper evidence.
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| Week Six |
| Wednesday - Lesson 11 |
Do you know the difference between a coroner and a medical examiner? How do death investigators determine the time of death? You'll find out in this lesson. You'll also learn how investigators seek the identity of a corpse and uncover clues about the cause and manner of death.
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| Friday - Lesson 12 |
In this lesson, you'll discover how an analysis of language and behavior can support a criminal investigation. We'll also survey some exciting new techniques on the horizon, explore a brief history of forensic science developments, and we'll even investigate some famous fictional forensic investigators. You'll even learn how the current popularity of forensic science-based fiction impacts criminal trials and writers.
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To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
Student Reviews:
"As an already successful writer, I am sure I will refer to these lessons over the coming years as I continue to write novels."
"I am amazed at all the info. provided in this course. This is by far the most advanced, sophisticated course I have ever taken. Exceeding a university curriculum. Every question I had been answered with your "Most asked questions" sheet. Thanks for providing your experience and expertise."
"I am a Police Officer and have found this course interesting, factual, and very informative. I will certainly use this information daily and when I pursue training in the Forensic Identification Bureau."
"Incredible amount of useful info. It also sheds a different light on the veracity some of the episodes of crime shows. Thanks. This course was very enjoyable...and a challenge."
"In this course I was provided with a tremendous amount of data, which included references to studies, names of experts, and technical terms. I appreciate that the instructor took the time to create an index of the resource material and topics covered - a help in further research."
"Of the many courses I have taken, Demystifying Forensics has been the most valuable, by far. The material was presented in an entertaining, organized and informative fashion. I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that I stretched it out to the bitter end, only completing the final test within a day of running out of time. Excellent course, just excellent."
"Of the numerous courses I have taken, this has been the most useful. Highly informative, very well organized and presented."
"Please continue to offer this course. I have many mystery writer friends who would benefit from it."
"Really enjoyed the course. I am retired and in my late 60's. I have always been interested in Forensic Science. Although the course appeared to be designed for fictional writers, I thought I would gain some knowledge from taking it. Again, I really enjoyed the course...Thank you."
"Thank you so much for all of the information you gave us! I feel much more confident now about the forensic aspects of my writing. I especially liked how you gave us ideas in our lessons about how evidence and the processing of that evidence could create plot twists. You really know your stuff and I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us…Thank you!"
To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
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