Unit Descriptions

Teaching Arrangements

The current teaching philosophy for the course is to make units available, as far as possible, to those in full or part time employment as well as students wishing to enrol in order to augment their current qualifications. In order to maintain adequate class sizes some of the special units may be offered on a two-year rotation.

The style of the units will be dependent on the availability of resources and also the nature of various analytical processes and experiments. While every effort will be made to ensure an advertised programme is presented, sections of the programme may be altered from time to time dependent on student numbers, staff availability and resources.

Core Units:

Special Topics:

Case Study Units (Part 1 must be taken before Part 2):

Masters by Thesis (50770) - Either of the following units:

Masters by Coursework & Dissertation (51520) - The following second year units:

Core Unit Descriptions

This unit provides students with advanced knowledge, and practical experience, in the following concepts and principals:

The importance and role of ethics in the forensic sciences; The relevance and application of the scientific method in forensic science; How to formulate and test research questions; How to assemble and construct scientific material in the appropriate format; Practical applications of statistics in forensic investigation.

Unit Co-ordinators: Prof Ian Dadour & Dr Daniel Franklin

This unit will form an introduction to instrumental techniques commonly used in chemical analysis. Particular attention will be paid to the strengths and weaknesses of each of the techniques, their use in tandem and the composite information that they provide. Emphasis will be placed upon the interpretation of instrumental results and on the use of these techniques to identify materials present at trace levels in complex mixtures. The unit will comprise lectures and workshops.

Unit Co-ordinators: Prof John Watling, A/Prof Emilio Ghisalberti & Mr Neil Campbell

This unit will bring some of the principals and practices of soil science to forensic science in order to utilise soils based methods as tools in forensic science. This unit provides an introduction to soils and their properties, provenance and processes. The material aims to link knowledge of soil properties, including both macro and microbiological features of soils, with forensic evidence. Topics covered in the soil and dirt section of the unit are the nature and distribution of fine-grained natural materials in the environment and the nature and distribution of microscopic living organisms in soils. The taphonomy section will develop a better understanding of the interface between the nature and properties of the burial environment and forensic materials that decompose within it.

Unit Co-ordinator: Dr Mark Tibbett

Minute particles found at crime scenes often provide critical evidence, or do they? This unit aims to introduce students to the applications and limitations of optical microscopy (including laser confocal), scanning electron microscopy, electron microanalysis and related techniques to the study of evidence and the characterisation of materials. The theory will cover the basics of scanning electron microscopy, microanalysis and digital imaging techniques, including image analysis, with an emphasis on accuracy and limitations of the comparative data. The theory is supported by interactive multimedia software packages, which provide a future reference resource.

Unit Co-ordinator: Prof Brendan Griffin

Participants in this component will be given an overview of existing image enhancement techniques and how they are used in forensic applications. In particular, participants will understand image data is captured, the differences between analog and digital images, the processes that result in image degradation, the extent to which images can be cleaned up, and how three-dimensional shapes can be extracted from images. On completion of this component, participants will be able to digitise images, use image enhancement software to improve image quality and understand the limitations of image enhancement techniques. The lab sessions will cover the use of image enhancement routines commonly available in most image processing packages. The sessions will also cover the use of more advanced image enhancement techniques using software developed in house.

Unit Co-ordinator: Dr Peter Kovesi

Forensic Entomology had its first recorded conviction in thirteenth century China. Since those times the use of insects as a tool in estimating time of death is commonplace. The cadaver is a resource for scavenging insects and each species lays its eggs or larvae on the body at set times through the decompositional process. The unit deals with collecting entomological evidence; identifying species and calculating the estimated time of death based on known developmental rates.

Unit Co-ordinator: Prof Ian Dadour

This unit is concerned chiefly with human skeletal remains in the forensic context but also addresses issues in relation to the information to be gained from soft tissues. The unit will develop the essential principals of Forensic Anthropology using a practical approach fostering student participation and interaction and includes general and personal identification of human remains and gravesite analysis. A detailed and practical examination of personal identification techniques will reinforce skeletal anatomy. Forensic case studies, including basic forensic data analysis and recent forensic research techniques will be a feature of this unit.

Unit Co-ordinator: Dr Daniel Franklin

Part of this unit will be delivered by PathWest, which performs all forensic biological examinations for the WA police, the coroner and the Sexual Assault Resource Centre. Students will be given a series of lectures entitled "The Role of Forensic Biology in Criminal Investigations". The topics that will be covered include: The principals of evidence analysis and recovery, Blood stain pattern interpretation, Use of an alternative light source, Disaster victim identification, Forensic DNA profiling and related topics. The second part of this unit provides a background in the application of DNA methodology and analysis in forensic science. Case studies are taken from homicide, sexual assault, infection and disputes over paternity. Practical classes will look at various methods of detection of polymorphisms, using DNA typing, PCR and associated methodologies. Students will extract DNA from buccal swabs and use DNA to perform PCR.

Unit Co-ordinators: Dr Silvana Gaudieri & Dr Gavin Turbett

The forensic pathology core component will give an overview of the relationship between medicine and the law, particularly relating to the detection and interpretation of changes associated with death. Causes of natural death and violent death will be reviewed. Intoxication with drugs and death due to poisons will be discussed. Common forensic problems such as identification methods of the visually unidentifiable corpse will also be addressed.

Unit Co-ordinator: Dr Gerard Cadden

These are research units. Students will be required to attend 90% of lectures or seminars. Where possible these lectures will be given by distinguished forensic scientists, scientists and experts. Occassional workshops will also be presented encompassing case reviews. In addition to attending and participating in lectures or workshops, students will be expected to provide a short critical report on one lecture/workshop (500 words) for each issues unit. Students will also be required to complete a critical report (2000-3000 words) on an issue in forensic science for each issues unit. These reports will be assessed.

Unit Co-ordinator: Prof Ian Dadour

These are specialist units and may consist of lectures with laboratory classes, workshops or field courses. Some topics listed may not be offered each year due to staff commitments and some topics may have pre-requisites. Topics may include:

Forensic Archaeology - Dr Daniel Franklin

Forensic Immunology - Dr Silvana Gaudieri

Insects as Biological Clocks - Prof Ian Dadour

Botanical Evidence - Dr Lynne Milne

Nature's Microscopic Witnesses - Dr Lynne Milne

Psychology and the Investigative Process - Dr Vance Locke

Students will be required to undertake a case study which will include scientific research, law and the presentation of evidence. The case study may consist of research into an historic case in Law where forensic evidence has been presented to establish a prosecution or uphold a defence. The students will be required to analyse this evidence, take steps to repeat the analytical process where possible constructing a hypothetical case related to their historical case. To this end students will be required to conduct their research within a discipline, attend seminars and workshops in that discipline and demonstrate an ability and knowledge of the techniques associated with the evidence.

As part of this unit, students will be required to attend lectures on Criminal Justice and Expert Evidence. Students are automatically enrolled in this when enrolling in the case study.

Criminal Justice - these lectures cover the Criminal Justice System and its agencies (including key data); history, sources and scope of the Criminal Law; Commonwealth and State responsibilities; role of International Law; criminal law and other remedies; morality, harm and blame in the criminal law; principles of interpretation; onus and standard of proof; liability for ommissions; classification of offences and courts of trial; jury trial; and adversarial and inquisitorial systems.

Expert Evidence - An essential part of forensic science is the communication of scientific opinion evidence in court. A weekend workshop covers the law of expert evidence and the practical aspects of preparation of expert reports, preparation for giving evidence and communication with jurors. Experienced lawyers and experts will teach both the theory and the practice.

The hypothetical case will be presented within a mock court.

Unit Co-ordinator: Prof Ian Dadour