Forensics or forensic science is defined as the application of science to questions that are of interest to the legal system (Forensic science & forensic medicine, 2008). Forensic scientists must be impartial and draw conclusions that are based solely on what evidence shows. This particular scientific discipline depends on the proper application of the elements of the scientific method. This report will examine the scientific method as employed in forensic science during a criminal investigation. It will provide a focus on psychological profiling, which comprises an increasingly significant source of information used during criminal investigations to identify suspects and establish motive, opportunity, and so forth (Goodwill & Alison, 2007).
One of the most significant developments in the history of science was the scientific method, the procedure used by scientists in many different disciplines to acquire knowledge. Measurement of phenomena is essential to the scientific method, including measuring an initial phenomenon and measuring the phenomena after an experiment.
Barnes-Svarney (1995) stated that the general format of the scientific method incorporates three fundamental elements and may include a fourth element. First, scientists observe a phenomenon and record facts, which are descriptions of what is observed. Second, the formulation of a hypothesis based on physical laws or previously known data helps to generalize the phenomenon. Third, the hypothesis leads to the development of a theory that is used to predict the existence of other phenomena or to predict quantitatively the result of new observations. Finally, Barnes-Svarney (1995) suggests that more often than not, scientists use experimental tests in multiple settings or with multiple experimenters to test predictions derived from the development of a theory.
In forensic science, experimental tests are increasingly used to test theories regardi...