Forensic chemistry deals with the chemical analysis of a crime scene or any other environments associated with a crime. A forensic chemist is responsible with identifying and characterizing the evidence, and  will some time be required to hold his conclusions in court as an expert witness attesting or disproving the validity of the forwarded evidence.

Contrary to popular belief, a forensic chemist will rarely perform field work – field work is most of the time performed by law enforcement and forensic technicians. A forensic chemist will analyze evidence including hair samples, paint chips, glass fragments, gun powder, blood stains… pretty much anything that can yield valuable chemical information. For this task a multidisciplinary approach is required and, as such, a merged knowledge from the fields of chemistry, biology, material science and genetics is required. Simply knowing chemistry just isn’t good enough, especially as thee prevalence of DNA analysis in forensic science as well as the weight it holds in court means that a background in genetics becomes increasingly important.

A forensic chemist may also be called upon during drug busts or other drug related operations to analyze various substances and assess their nature.

To achieve this, a forensic chemist should become familiar with a variety of techniques including microscopy, optical analysis (UV, infrared, X-ray), gas chromatography, and other technologies. Findings are carefully laid in a report that will be used in support of criminal investigations.

Forensic chemistry working condition

Typically a forensic chemist will work in a lab setting, most of the time employed by a local, state or federal government. Some private entities that work closely with law establishments will also provide forensic chemistry positions. The hours are long, tasks are generally repetitive and the equipment is used is highly technical. However, some police stations or companies might employ chemists project-based if they can’t afford hiring a full time forensic chemist.

As you might imagine, considering the lives and liberty of individuals are at stake, strict procedures regarding evidence and documentation handling is required and must be warranted. At times, law enforcement and court officials might pressure the forensic chemist to deliver results and work at a faster pace to meet these demands. As such the work might seem intense.

Public speaking and strong communication skills are required as the forensic chemist will often be called in front of court to testify his findings. Complex scientific procedures in such a way the justice and juries need to understand will need to be conveyed.

Career path

Like stated earlier, a forensic chemist will typically be employed through a federal, state or county labs, as well as private institutions at some times. Besides the base profession, however, someone trained or experienced in the field of forensic science might also move to work in other departments like forensic science, academe or administration. For instance, there are numerous cases in which a forensic chemist or some other forensic scientist has moved to managing a lab, where he handles attributions like supervising other scientists, instead of being himself involved in day-to-day analysis. Case review and general lab management would also be part of his attributions. Patent law is also a viable branching.

Forensic chemistry educational requirements

Of course, a strong background in chemistry and technical knowledge of instrument use is required. Though it is not always required, it is definitely recommended to have a either an undergraduate or graduate degree in forensic science. Those interested in a position as a trace evidence analysis, like glass, hair, paper and so on should rather focus on instrumental analysis. If forensic biology and DNA analysis are preferred, take microbiology, genetics, and biochemistry courses. Those interested in the toxicological aspects of this work should study physiology, biochemistry, and chemistry.

Salary of a forensic chemist

The salary of a forensic chemist varies on experience, position and state of employment. Typically a forensic chemist earns $70,550 yearly. If you’re just starting off as a forensic chemist, expect to earn $58,100 yearly in the beginning.

The main intention with which people seem to make more and more use of computer forensic investigators is to either detect and secure or retrieve relevant information an organization or institution needs, for the purpose of stating and rendering firm conclusions.

The generally assumed field that became a top of mind is the delinquency area, although the original meaning of the computer forensic field term was used to describe civil procedures. The principles involved are mostly similar to the data recovery course to which the know-how also requires a legal audit trail, which is a chronogical record also security – relevant, providing documented proof of the sequence of given activities that altered specific procedures or processes. While the range of using such evidence in court is more widely spread, both the european and American cultures begin to develop legal frameworks to factually accept it in an official manner.

The discipline, as well as the practice, surprises the legal framework of the state in question by which specific technological processes are admissible in front of a court in order to prove guilt or innocence in cases of rights violations or protocol infringement. These include data services, data transfer, wireless communications involving specific information such as the spectrums of illegal usage of intellectual property or children pornography. Also, if the information an organization beholds of a client fails to be protected according to the signed agreement and the law of Parties, the consequences make it liable in either civil or criminal court.

The process is truly belaboured and it involves advanced knowledge in both Laws and computer science, as it was previously mentioned. Withal, the tools and techniques required for any specific investigation procedure depend on the nature of the case to be solved as well as to the purpose of the investigations. There are two main types of data that the investigators in computer forensics collect. The first one is persistent data, consisting of information stored on a local hard drive, stored while the device is turned off, while the volatile data is going to be lost when the device is turned off, the information being either stored in the memory or in transmitting process. This second type of data remained in the registers and the random access memory (RAM) and can be accessed after the operation has ended, if the instruments used are properly chosen.

Similarly to any other type of research, the forensic investigations imply specific stept to be followed. Identifying the purpose and the nature of the investigation and the tools needed for the entire procedure to take place is only the first stage of the reasearch, while the second one consists in the evidence acquisition, i.e. the identification of the sources of digital evidence to pe preserved.

During the third stage the investigator decides what are the best tools to be used in the specific procedure, performs the data process and renders the interpretation of the analysis results. Finally, the obtained results are disseminated in reported findings and presented findings. The most important two goals that have to be accomplished for the computer forensic investigation to be successful are to be practiced effectively, under legal conditions and to draft the basic theoretical information that lends itself to be used.

In the broadest sense possible, forensic psychology refers to the application of psychology in a court of law. Also, the term might get often tossed when referring to investigative or criminal psychology, like in the case of applying psychological theory to criminal investigation, understanding psychological problems associated with criminal behaviour and the treatment of criminals.

What does a forensic psychologist do?

Simply put, a forensic psychologist is a licensed psychologist, first of all, who voices an expert psychological opinion in a court of law impacting one of the two sides. A general assumption we commonly encounter is that the forensic psychologists only deal in criminal matters, which is more often than not far from being the truth.

You’ll most likely won’t encounter nightmares likes Hannibal Lecter, still a forensic psychologist will deal with a lot of criminals as part of the job.

A forensic psychologist can and will often be called to court as an expert witness in civil matters as well, primarily in issues where emotional stress or suffering is part of the claim, the competency of an aged or ill individual needs to psychologically discerned, whether a death was an accident or a suicide for a insurance claim case, or loads of other agendas.

Some professionals work in family courts and offer psychotherapy services, perform child custody evaluations, investigate reports of child abuse and conduct visitation risk assessments.

Another great pillar in a forensic psychologists’ job description is that of research, by presenting evidence in court and advising parole boards and mental health tribunals.

Key tasks undertaken by forensic psychologists may include:

• piloting and implementing treatment programmes
• modifying offender behaviour
• responding to the changing needs of staff and prisoners
• reducing stress for staff and prisoners
• providing hard research evidence to support practice
• undertaking statistical analysis for prisoner profiling
• giving evidence in court
• advising parole boards and mental health tribunals
• crime analysis

How to become a forensic psychologist?

To become a forensic psychologist – though we will discuss the technical requirements for the job in broader detail onwards – you first need to be a psychologist. This is very important to note first of all, since it means so much, but maybe so little at the same time.

This is why you’ll have to ask yourself some very important questions: do you enjoy working with others? Do you enjoy being around people and helping them? Are you emphatic and can usually tell what a person is really thinking? Do you enjoying challenging problems? During your work as a potential forensic psychologist, you’ll be faced with a slew of challenges, far from being easily resolved. I by no means wish to discourage or detract you from this career, but it’s well worth thinking these things out.

Forensic psychology requires patience, hard work, commitment and creativity. The sheer amount to time in school is enough to drive some people insane, let alone the time spent in the company, in some cases, of hardened criminals.

If you find these hurdles acceptable and enjoy both psychology and law, then this career might be ideal for you.

Forensic Psychologist training and school

First of all you’ll need a licence is psychology which entails a graduate degree. Then you’ll need to enroll in a master degree for forensic psychology, followed by a doctoral degree, at least in the United States. So far this amounts to between 10 and 12 years of school.  An online list of institutions offering various types of Ph.D./Psy.D. programs in forensic psychology is available .

Then you’ll need to attend seminars in forensic psychology or take additional courses in psychology and criminology at an accredited college or university. Some people who have become forensic psychologists had pursued a dual degree in psychology and law which helped them quite a lot in setting their career path.

Like a forensic medical examiner, or like many other forensic expert career, you’ll need some proven work experience assisting a chartered forensic psychologist for a minimum of two years. Some states require only year of supervised work experience, however, so check with your local regulators.

The final and ultimate step in becoming a forensic psychologist is to obtain a certification from the . This entails going through the educational requirements listed above and passing an examination.

Forensic Psychologist salary and jobs

The salary for forensic psychologist varies from state to state. Forensic psychologists make an average of $34,457 to $140,323 a year, according to PayScale.com. That reflects average base salary levels of $34,886 to $104,960, plus $197 to $39,453 in annual bonus money.Most likely when you first start off, you’ll be compensated on the lower end of the scale, but expect your salary to double even triple in some cases in as little as a few years of practice.

Forensic psychologist jobs can be found advertised:

• In , which is part of ,  the Society’s monthly magazine.
• In national newspapers (e.g. The Times, The Guardian, The Independent)
• In specialist publications from the