Forensics
Forensic Links
Forensic Links is a directory of official forensic science organizations, from standards bodies to certification boards, that you can visit directly.
Forensic Links gathers the official homepages of the groups that set standards, accredit laboratories, certify examiners, and study the science behind the cases. Every link goes straight to the organization's own site, so you read its primary guidance instead of a secondhand summary. If a term you find there is unfamiliar, the Forensic Terms glossary explains the vocabulary, and Forensic Team covers who handles what at a scene.
- American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS)
- American Board of Forensic Anthropology, Inc (ABFA)
- American Board of Criminalistics
- American Board of Forensic Odontology (ABFO)
- American Board of Forensic Psychology (ABFP)
- American Medical Forensic Specialists (AMFS)
- American Society of Questioned Document Examiners
- Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE)
- ATF Fire Research Laboratory
- Crimes & Clues
- Crime Magazine: An Encyclopedia of Crime
- DNA Initiative
- DNA Testing: An Introduction for Non-Scientists/An Illustrated Explanation
- FBI Cyber Crime
- FBI Handbook of Forensic Services
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- ForensicEntomology.com
- Fundamentals of Firearms ID
- International Association for Identification
- National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE)
- National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
- Reddy's Forensic Page
- RJ Lee Group Criminal Forensic Services
- The National Domestic Violence Hotline
- NIST Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC)
- National Institute of Justice, Forensic and Investigative Sciences
- Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM)
- International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts (IABPA)
- National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME)
- The Innocence Project
Common questions
What organizations set forensic science standards in the United States?
Standards come mainly from the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC), which NIST administers, and from working groups such as SWGDAM for DNA analysis. The National Institute of Justice funds much of the underlying research.
How do forensic examiners get certified?
Certification is voluntary and comes from professional boards, such as the American Board of Criminalistics for laboratory analysts and the International Association for Identification for latent print and crime scene examiners. Each board sets its own exams and continuing education requirements.
What is the difference between a medical examiner and a coroner?
A medical examiner is a physician, usually a trained forensic pathologist, appointed to investigate sudden or unexplained deaths. A coroner is an elected or appointed official whose duties vary by jurisdiction and who is not always a doctor. The National Association of Medical Examiners sets practice standards for forensic pathology in the United States.
How does forensic evidence help overturn wrongful convictions?
DNA testing can compare biological evidence from a case against a convicted person or a database, and a match to someone else can support a claim of innocence. The Innocence Project uses this kind of testing to challenge convictions and works to correct the practices that caused them.
Where can families report a missing person or search unidentified remains?
NamUs, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, is a free federal database where families and investigators can enter cases and compare long-term missing persons against unidentified remains.