Science & Justice PDF

Science & Justice, the official journal of The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences, serves as a platform for the international exchange of scientific knowledge and advancements in the application of science to legal proceedings. It is a highly regarded publication that promotes original research and facilitates informed discussions within the forensic and crime science communities, as well as the criminal justice sector.

The journal accepts various types of submissions, including:

1. Original Research Papers: These articles present new and significant scientific research findings related to forensic and crime science.
2. Short Communications: This category includes preliminary studies and proof-of-concept articles where datasets are limited. They provide valuable insights or innovative ideas worth sharing with the scientific community.
3. Review Articles: These papers offer comprehensive and critical evaluations of existing research and developments in specific areas of forensic science.
4. Technical Notes: Technical Notes are concise articles that focus on specific methodologies, techniques, or tools relevant to forensic investigations.
5. Case Studies: Case Studies describe real-life forensic cases, presenting the application of scientific methods in solving crimes and providing insights into investigative procedures.
6. Professional Practice Reports: These reports highlight best practices, advancements, or challenges faced by forensic scientists, crime scene investigators, and legal professionals in their respective fields.
7. Rapid Communications: Rapid Communications serve as a platform for timely dissemination of significant scientific findings that require immediate attention or have a high impact on the field.
8. Commentaries: Commentaries, including Professional Commentaries, provide expert opinions, perspectives, and discussions on relevant topics in forensic science and the criminal justice system.
9. Correspondence: This category includes letters and responses discussing previously published articles or raising important points related to forensic science.

Science & Justice is published six times a year and primarily caters to forensic scientists, forensic practitioners, crime scene investigators, legal professionals, and other professionals in related fields. The journal maintains a rigorous selection process, ensuring that all published articles adhere to strict ethical and legal standards. Authors submitting case studies or research involving human or animal experimentation, as well as studies involving human data (including patient data), must provide evidence of consent, compliance, and institutional ethical review committee approval.

The journal welcomes submissions from various disciplines within criminal justice, criminal law, and forensic science. These may include, but are not limited to, crime scene and vehicle collision investigation, forensic archaeology and anthropology, forensic biology, forensic genetics and pathology, forensic chemistry and toxicology, criminalistics and physical sciences, digital forensics, environmental forensics, and wildlife crime. Authors are encouraged to consider the diverse international readership of the journal and provide contextualization of their work’s implications and applications for practitioners, academics, researchers, and criminal justice systems worldwide.