How does jurisdiction affect the criminal investigation process?
SOCI1084 Case Studies Portfolio Assessment Guidelines 2021-22
For this assessment, you need to select three (N=3) forensic technologies and research a relevant case study of a criminal investigation that makes explicit use of them (a total of 3 case studies, one for each of the chosen technology).
Once you have chosen the relevant technologies and cases, you should write no more than 750 words per case (+ or – 10%), 2,250 max overall, detailing:
- Very Brief case description: What happened? relevant facts about the case, i.e. chronology of events as relevant to the forensic technology under scrutiny
- Historical and jurisdictional context: Where and when? i.e. where the case took place and any relevant legislation, cultural practices as related to historical, geographical and social context.
- Limitations and critique: any controversies about the case, particularly focusing on the forensic technology in question as well as the sources of information used. You will need to draw on academic literature in order to understand and expose limitations.
- Sources of information used: Who says? (bare minimum of four sources per case, including minimum of one academic journal article). The sources need to be referenced in a bibliographic fashion. You need to use in-text citations throughout your case analysis. You must reference in Harvard style.
You may wish to use the template below, which details the forensic technologies you can choose from. Remember, you only need to choose three out of eight.
| Forensic Technologies | Case description
|
Context | Limitations and critique
|
Sources/Bibliography |
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
You do not need to present your portfolio in the above format. You can write your work in a regular word document, or use a PowerPoint presentation, a PDF, or use any other software of your choice to put together your portfolios (Remember to check whether your files are compatible with Turnitin before submitting).
Examples of past students portfolios are available for you to peruse on Moodle.
The most important thing about your portfolio is that you follow the guidelines and outline structure. Each of your three case studies needs to include:
- a brief description of the case
- a discussion of context
- a discussion of limitations and critiques
- a bibliography/list of references
You are encouraged to use subheadings to mark each of these sections.
General notes on the assessment:
This assessment should be developed throughout the term, on a regular basis.
DO NOT LEAVE IT TILL THE LAST MINUTE. YOU WILL STRUGGLE IF YOU DO!
Each week, we will be looking at a different forensic technology in class, and you will be provided with basic knowledge about how this is deployed.
In seminars, we will be discussing forensic technologies in relation to case studies of criminal investigations. We will reflect on the historical context, jurisdictional practices (mostly drawing on UK or US cases), and scientific practices. Use the seminar discussions as inspiration and blueprint for your independent analysis in your portfolios.
In the portfolio, you will need to collect information and reflect on real cases that deploy the forensic technologies studied. You will thus showcase your understanding of relevant forensic techniques and related limitations.
Extended guidelines and further information:
Each case analysis has four parts:
Case description:
To demonstrate your knowledge of details of the case alongside knowledge of the forensic technique focused on, including specific and appropriate terminology as outlined in the core textbook and other relevant texts which you may find in the library.
Context:
Historical and geographical details are important to demonstrate understanding of the way the context shapes the case. But the cultural context is also important. For instance,
- How does jurisdiction affect the criminal investigation process?
- What types of limitations are imposed by historical context?
- Do race, gender, class and other social structural determinants have a bearing on the case?
- What about our cultural attitudes?
These are the sorts of questions you might be asking yourselves when trying to appraise each case in context.
Limitations and critique:
You will need to include a discussion of limitations of the forensic technology you analyse, alongside reflection on the manner in which this was used in the case. Were there any controversies? Was there any contamination or bias involved in the investigation, by the police or the scientists? Was data mishandled or misinterpreted? Did this affect the outcome of the case? What about the forensic technology used? What does the academic literature say about any possible problems or limitations of it?
Sources:
Use a minimum of four sources per case. Please note this is the bare minimum. The more the merrier. Sources can include news reports, specific forensic science sources (websites, textbooks, journals), advocacy and campaigning organisations (i.e. the innocence project), and reality crime shows. USING A SINGLE SOURCE WILL NOT BE SUFFICIENT AND WILL LIKELY CAUSE YOU TO FAIL THE ASSESSMENT. A list of relevant sources, journals and websites to peruse is provided in the course handbook.
A note on presentation, media and style:
You should think about the portfolio as a personal, live and developing document. The table above is a template. You may wish to follow this template, or you may instead compile your portfolio using software other than a word document. Hand-written portfolios may also be considered.
Other than written evidence, in the form of your own words based on interpretation of the sources you study, you may wish to include hyperlinks to relevant news coverage, which may include photographs, videos and other documents, to illustrate the case. This would be a good strategy to provide further details of the case without going over the word count, while at the same time learning to work with and communicate through different types of media sources.
Anticipated FAQ:
- What is the word limit?
- What sources should I include?
- What is the minimum number of sources I should include?
- Will I need to reference all sources? How do I do this?
- How will I find information about relevant cases?
- How will I know how to discuss limitations and critique a given case?
- 750 words per case (including description, context and critique but excluding references) x 3 forensic technologies = 2,250 words in total. Please note that the 10% rule always applies, so + or – 10% of the word count is acceptable.
- You should include references to all the sources you consult while learning about the case. This may include internet news articles, dedicated website links (i.e. innocence project, forensic files website etc.), academic articles from peer-reviewed journals, relevant books/textbooks chapters, and works of fiction (books, films, TV) if relevant.
- 4 sources per case minimum, including 1 academic journal article per case. Please note that this is the bare minimum. The more the better.
- All sources must be referenced in bibliographic fashion, so they should be listed in alphabetical order and specifically to each case. Please refer to the referencing guidelines on Moodle for instructions on how to reference different types of sources.
- You will need to carry out searches on the internet and in the library. You can start off by browsing through the list of resources provided in this handbook on page 14.
- This is where it gets interesting! We will discuss controversial cases in class, so you will be exposed to different types of controversies. Your understanding, ability and skill will be showcased through discussion of limitations and critique. This is your chance to get creative and apply notions you learnt from reading relevant literature to the analysis of your chosen case.
