Core Principles of Forensic Science
# Core Principles of Forensic Science These principles form the philosophical foundation of all forensic disciplines—physical, biological, and digital. They explain *why* evidenc…
#evidence
9 published notes
Direct Evidence
**Direct evidence** is testimony from a **direct witness** who personally observed the act or event in question. It is based on firsthand human perception rather than inference fr…
Hearsay
**Hearsay** is an out-of-court statement offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted. Under the **U.S. Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE)**, hearsay is generally **not admissib…
Business Records
**Business records** are documents or data that an enterprise routinely generates and retains as part of its normal operations, and that are considered accurate enough to guide ma…
Digital Evidence
**Network-based digital evidence** is digital evidence produced as a result of **communications over a network**. It is a subset of **[[Digital Evidence]]**, but it is distinguish…
Real Evidence
**Real evidence** is a physical, tangible object that played a relevant role in the event being investigated. It is the kind of evidence a jury can see and touch, such as the murd…
Circumstantial Evidence
[[Circumstantial Evidence]] is evidence that does **not directly prove a conclusion**, but can be linked with other evidence to **deduce** what happened. It requires inference and…
Best Evidence
**[[Best Evidence]]** is the **best available evidence that can be produced in court** to prove the content of a writing, recording, or photograph. Under the **U.S. Federal Rules …
Hypothesis-Driven Analytical Investigation
In forensic and analytical work, thinking is not enough. You must build a **testable chain** between your ideas and the evidence. ## The core loop 1. **Observe** — Notice someth…