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Jordan Goodspeed
Erin Workman
ENC1145-0009
25 February 2015
Writing in Forensic Science
Forensic science has always been an interest of mine from a very young age. Television
shows such as CSI and Criminal Minds have always peaked my interest in the field of forensic
science so I have decided to dive deeper into this field of study. A forensic scientist, essentially,
is someone who studies the evidence collected at a crime scene such as bullet casings or DNA.
As exciting as studying dead bodies and evidence at a crime scene may seem, there are aspects of
the job that are largely unseen such as the writing portion. Although this may seem like a less
than glamorous part of the job, the forensic sciences field would be nothing without the diligent
written research on the part of its fieldworkers.
Just about everywhere you go, writing is used. This is especially true in forensic science.
I used to think that there was absolutely no writing done in this field. I never saw them write
absolutely anything on CSI. I only saw them examining evidence in a lab all throughout the
show. But upon researching, I found that that is entirely false. A good portion of the forensic
scientists have to write in order to be successful at their jobs. They also have to write particularly
well in order to keep their jobs. There is so much intricate evidence that needs to be documented
and communicated with other people such as law enforcement that if one cannot write, then one
might need to find another job.

Hein explains, Crime scene writing must be precise and to the point. It is not the place
for speculation or explaining who committed the murder. It is for technical writing (57). To be a
forensic scientist, you have to be good at technical writing; writing that is based upon facts.
There is no room for speculation. That is someone elses job. A forensic scientist must only write
out what the evidence found can indicate. So if you cannot purely remain factual and unbiased,
then you cannot do your job properly. Finch states They [forensic scientists] need to be able to
explain complex scientific findings and data in non-technical language, while ensuring that the
information they get across is accurate. For example the Casey Anthony Forensic Biology
report carefully details every piece of evidence found at the scene: A white trash bag with blue
handles containing paper towels and miscellaneous items were removed from the trunk of a 1998
white Pontiac Sunfire (owned by the mother of the missing child) on July 16, 2008. This is
factual information with no room for speculation on the forensic scientists part.

Figure 1: Casey Anthony Lab Report

Forensic writing also has to be well organized. If a report is not organized, nobody will
be able to clearly understand the report and could jeopardize a case. There is little to no room for
error in forensic writing. Roufa states that in the case of police officers, detectives and crime
scene investigators, a poorly worded or badly organized report can mean the difference between
a criminal being brought to justice or going free. In many instances, state and district attorneys
will decline to prosecute defendants if the original arrest document is wrought with errors of fact
or if it reads as if a kindergartner wrote it. Also, reports need to be well written so that whoever
is reading the writing can clearly understand the point of the writing. If the reader cannot
understand the report, then there is no point in the author having written it because it will be of
no use. In the beginning of the Casey Anthony report, which you can see in Figure 1., there is
kind of a synopsis of what the report is going to outline. The first piece of information is the case
number and subject accused of guilt. Then the next piece of information is the evidence
submitted for testing by a certain police department. After that, the examination analysis comes
next telling you what they did to each item to determine if there was any DNA left. Then the
conclusion of this test. Finally, the forensic scientists closing remarks on the testing. You can tell
that there is a clear and organized approach to lab reports. If there werent, there would be no
way of understanding what is written in this report.

Figure

2: Casey
Anthony

Lab Report Outline

There are many different types of writing a forensic scientist has to be able to do in order
to do his/her job correctly. One such type of writing is lab reports, like the Casey Anthony report.
Writing lab reports is a major task in this field. Lab reports contain a forensic scientists notes on
the evidence that law enforcement has taken in their findings at a crime scene. As previously
stated in the above paragraph, the beginning of the Anthony report lists each piece of evidence
found at the crime scene such as a laundry bag and a pair of shorts. Forensic scientists then have
to analyze the evidence in their lab and write up a lab report to explain their findings and to put
them on file. All forensic science technicians prepare written reports that detail their findings
and investigative methods. They must be able to explain their reports to lawyers, detectives, and
other law enforcement officials (Forensic Science Technicians).
These lab reports often go to a lot of different people in different professions depending
on if a case is put to trial or not so it is especially important that a forensic scientist has the
writing skills necessary to write a sufficient report. These reports have to be written to be
understood by people who are not forensic scientists. Finch states It is important that forensic

reports are easy to understand by non-scientists, as they may explain vital evidence for a case or
trial. The terminology used in the forensic field is a language in itself but a scientist also has to
make it as easy as possible for someone in a different profession such as a judge to understand it
without having ever taken a forensic class. They cannot just spout out terminology such as
Megaselia scalaris, which is a scuttle fly that was found in a trash bag in Casey Anthonys car.
The judge would have no idea what that term means so forensic scientists have to be careful with
what they say and how they present it.
Another type of writing in the forensic science field is pieces that are delivered orally.
After forensic scientists analyze evidence, they have to present their findings to different people
in the justice system. They have to sit down and write an accurate depiction of their findings and
testify in front of a court room on their analysis. Finch states During the course of their work,
forensic scientists may need to talk to law enforcement officials, attorneys, investigators and
other people connected with a case. They may need to give informal briefings or guidance, either
before or after they have written their reports, and need to be able to communicate with people
who may not fully understand the complexities of their analyses (Finch). Because their work is
so complicated, they need to break it down for other people in the law system such as in court.
They are usually called to court as expert witnesses who present their findings based on
evidence from a crime scene. Because forensic scientists prepare reports and may be called as
expert witnesses, they must have good oral and written communication skills. (Dillon 6). It is
important that they are skilled with their writing enough to come to court and successfully
present or else they may jeopardize the case. If they cannot successfully write and speak on their
findings, they may put an innocent man or woman in jail if they are not careful.

Testifying in court is bound to happen when you are a forensic scientist so

communication is a key skill you must possess. Testifying in court is one of the main tasks
forensic scientists take on. Not only do they have to analyze evidence and write a good report
that accurately states what was found, but they now have to present their findings in front of a
court room. This involves the ability to explain complex processes and data in a simple way,
both verbally and in writing, without using jargon that might confuse a non-expert. This is a
pivotal part of the trial process -- if a judge or jury cannot understand a report or a scientist's
testimony, then they may not be able to make decisions based on the case analysis, and this could
affect the outcome of the trial (Finch). A lot rides on a forensic scientist outside of the lab. Their
work can ultimately decide if the accused is guilty or innocent. Other peoples lives depend on
how well the forensic scientist has done their job.
Beyond just working in a lab, a forensic scientist may feel that their skills may be valued
elsewhere such as teaching other hopeful forensic students. Forensic scientists who have been in
the field for a long time might want to pass on their knowledge to other students who also would
like to become a forensic scientist. These people that have been in the business for a long time
have seen it all. They know exactly what the field requires and can give a lot of helpful advice to
up and coming students. These people might want to teach college kids about different aspects of
the job they might be good at such as testifying and others may want to train graduates on lab
work and identifying certain chemical compounds. Other forensic scientists might want to do
research with fresh minds in college and graduate school and publish papers on new
techniques used in the lab.
To teach students who are studying forensic science, you have to have an excellent sense
of what writing is acceptable in the field. You cannot be teaching prospective students and not

have a full understanding of how to write in the field. Finch explains, Some forensic science
college courses include classes on how to prepare and present effective communications. This
may include working on oral presentations and written reports. Some scientists also take on-thejob courses or training that can help with this, such as workshops that give pointers on how to
give testimony in court and mock court appearance training. There are an infinite number of
areas an older forensic scientist can teach in. They dont just have to be stuck in the lab their
whole lives. They can always pass on valuable information and teach the new generation the insand outs of the profession.
The importance of writing as a forensic scientist not only changes other peoples lives, it
may change your own if you become a forensic scientist. If you do not possess the writing skills
necessary in this field, it will reflect negatively in your career. The simple fact is that in most
cases, your written reports will be the first and only introduction you'll ever have to some very
important and high-ranking people. Whether you're presenting a survey or a study you've just
completed or you're writing an arrest report, your written word will be seen and reviewed by
judges, politicians, lawyers and the press (Roufa). Not possessing the proper forensic writing
skills will almost certainly guarantee that you will not go far with your career. It reflects on your
intelligence and gives the impression that you cannot fulfill your duties as a forensic scientist.
Roufa explains, A poorly written report can leave someone with a bad impression of not only
your abilities and intelligence, but your dedication, as well. Often, people will think badly of
someone who they perceive has not taken the time to complete a well-written or thorough
report. You most certainly cannot move up the ranks if you are a moderate writer.
One thing I have always been fascinated with were shows such as C.S.I. or Cold Case. I
looked at these shows with such interest in how they do their jobs. But growing up I quickly

realized that this might not be an incredibly accurate depiction of what really goes on in the
forensic science field. These shows are a glorified way of showing the work it takes to solve
cases in a lab. In the first episode of the first season of CSI: Miami titled Golden Parachute, the
forensic scientist uses a bore scope to analyze ballistics evidence from a crime scene. She
immediately looks at a bullet and the scoring on it and figures out that someone wanted to
sabotage the gun it was fired from. A real forensic scientist would analyze it further in a lab and
write up all the factual evidence. They would also write up all the different possibilities of the
scoring on the bullet. It is not their job to figure out immediately what happened. That is for a
court room to decide.
These television shows are so focused on finding out who killed the victim, but what
about all the stuff that happens behind the scenes like writing up lab reports and testifying in
court. These aspects of the job are never shown because it is not as exciting to the audience to
see the boring, hard work it takes to be a successful forensic scientist. Cases are not solved in
forty minutes or less either. They take weeks, months, even years to solve. Sometimes, cases are
never solved. That is not what we want to see on television. We want to get the bad guy as soon
as possible.
In the article Teaching to Avoid the CSI Effect, Bergslien explains the CSI effect is the
misunderstanding of the science in the field based on the depiction of forensic science in
numerous television shows. I am sad to say I am one of these people who are suffering from the
CSI effect. Before researching the field, I was so sure I would without a doubt want to be a
forensic scientist. It just looked like such an intriguing job to have. The Hollywood depiction
was exactly the kind of career I wanted until I read about what the field actually does. Now it
does not seem so exciting to testify in front of jurors or write up thirty-page lab reports. Hopeful

students wanting to go into this field are not the only ones affected by crime television shows.
Prosecutors are increasingly worried that these shows, in effect, are tainting the jury pool by
presenting forensic science with a level of certainty that is often impossibly high in real-world
cases (Bergslien 690). The jurors have been conditioned by these television shows to expect a
clear cut conclusion but the reality is, there almost never is one.
Also, sometimes evidence isnt collected at all or has been tainted at the crime scene.
This makes a forensic scientists job impossible. They have no way of evaluating and possibly
solving a case if they have nothing to examine. You cannot make something out of nothing.
These shows always have a multitude of evidence to test and they almost never run into
problems such as tainted liquid samples. Bergslien explains, Things have reached the point that
lawyers are hiring expert witnesses to explain why there isnt any physical evidence to be
introduced in a case, or to explain to the jury that DNA testing is unnecessary because the source
of a blood sample is already known (690).
Television shows like CSI: Miami do seem intriguing, but they are no more than over the
top Hollywood depictions of what really goes on in this field. Yes, they do analyze evidence
using cool tools, but a forensic scientists job descriptions also include writing up clear and
organized reports, orally testifying evidence they have found, and ultimately deciding a persons
fate in the justice system. This field also requires exemplary writing and oral skills; they cannot
be rudimentary. If one does not possess these skills, how are they going to be a successful
forensic scientist?

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Works Cited
Bergslien, Elisa. "1. Teaching To Avoid the "CSI Effect". Keeping the Science in Forensic
Science." Journal of Chemical Education 83.5 (2006): 690-91. Print.
"Casey Anthony Forensic Biology Lab Report March 11 2011." Docstoc.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24
Feb. 2015.
Dillon, Hall. "Forensic Scientists: A Career in the Crime Lab." Occupational Outlook
Quarterly (1999): 2-7. Web.
Finch, Carol. "What Kind of Writing and Speaking Do Forensic Scientists Do?" Work. Demand
Media, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.
"Forensic Science Technicians." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
8 Jan. 2014. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.
Golden Parachute. CSI: Miami. CBS. 23 Sept. 2002. Television.
Hein, E. (2006). PARTNERS IN CRIME: Integrating forensic science and writing. Science
Scope, 29(7), 54-57. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/226069437?
accountid=4840
Roufa, Timothy. "Why Writing Skills Are Important in Criminology." About Careers. N.p., n.d.
Web. 24 Feb. 2015.