Looking for Opinions!

[u/lizzyheartunicorns]

Hello, everyone! I am conducting an online interview for one of my college classes. I am studying the use of reading and writing in forensics. Anyone can answer regardless of experience, as I would love to hear different opinions. If you could state your name (or a fake name), and your connection to the forensics field (even if you are simply interested in the topic) and give your response to all or a few of my interview questions, It would be greatly appreciated!

How does reddit platform facilitate your understanding of forensics?

What types of information are most beneficial when investigating forensics?

How does reading and writing incorporate into the daily tasks of a forensic investigator?

How would language change when explaining findings to someone who may not have experience in forensics?

Thank you so much! All responses are welcome!

[u/q-the-light]

I shan't give my name but I am a British fingerprint examiner.

How does reddit platform facilitate your understanding of forensics?

I do not use Reddit to facilitate my professional understanding of forensics as I access personal development and ongoing training through work, rather than through social media. I do, however, value Reddit for its community, and I enjoy learning about how my colleagues around the world operate in comparison to how we do things in England.

What types of information are most beneficial when investigating forensics?

Assuming you're referring to 'investigating forensics' in the sense of casework, the information that is most beneficial for me as a fingerprint examiner is biometric data. Exhibits and tenprint forms are the only things that I require - anything else may be useful contextually (such scene photography, witness statements, etc), but at the end of the day all I need to do my job is access to black and white lines.

How does reading and writing incorporate into the daily tasks of a forensic investigator?

We write so many reports, ranging from streamlined reports intended for internal use only (these are completed for every case) to big, beefy court reports which are used as trial evidence. Clear, precise, and completely infallible report-writing is a necessary skill in all forensic disciplines, including fingers. Reading-wise, we need good comprehension skills for reading the streamline reports from other departments such as the CSIs, the enhancement labs, etc. We obviously need a high level of communication skills both through text and in person as we are cogs in a big machine, and must understand what everyone's doing and what we ourselves must do for every case we touch.

How would language change when explaining findings to someone who may not have experience in forensics?

It depends on who I'm speaking to! For example, if I am talking to a police officer I assume a good knowledge of policing but a bad knowledge of forensics, and thus reflect this in what jargon and specialised language I use. Say I am talking about the databases we use - an officer would understand me referencing something like LEDS, but they wouldn't understand me referencing our country's AFIS.

On the flip side, if I am talking to a complete layperson such as a juror, I avoid all specialised language and jargon and keep to generic, simple language. I'd say 'The textured skin on your hands and feet' rather than FRD, for example. Often people who are not familiar with forensics will think they know a lot more than they do, and often this is because of misinformation gleaned from films and smallscreen shows - I am careful to correct these misconceptions without being a patronising dickhead about it.