04 July 2011
An investigation is one of the types of practical activity involved in learning. Investigating in primary science means carrying out a fair test to explore some of the children's own ideas on how the natural or man made world works. An investigation is largely determined by the children with many possible routes and outcomes. The children have to make many decisions during the investigation. It is not totally predetermined by the teacher, although the teacher will manage the learning through the investigation.
A forensic investigation is the practice of lawfully establishing evidence and facts that are to be presented in a court of law. The word forensic is derived from the Latin word forensic and means “of or before the forum.” It was used as early as the Roman Empire when people accused of crimes were brought before a public group and allowed to argue their case. In modern times, the term is used for nearly all investigations, ranging from computer crimes to murders. When most people think about a forensic investigation, they think about crime scene investigation, but there are other forms of forensic investigation.
The type of forensic investigation most people know about revolves around violent crimes. Forensics used in these investigations can uncover scientific evidence that may provide enough proof or evidence to convict a violent criminal, or to disprove outdated evidence that could lead to the release of someone who was wrongly convicted. The main kinds of evidence this form of forensic investigation yields are biological or DNA evidence, such as blood spatter and hairs; impression evidence, like fingerprints and tire tracks; and weapon identification, the microscopic examination of firearms and tools for the purpose of matching weapons to wounds. After the evidence is carefully collected at the crime scene, it is typically processed inside a crime lab.