• Question: How does your research contribute to a case? Is it the final agreement? Or does it contribute to the final agreement?

    Asked by bones to Jamie, Jodie, Kat, Mark, Niamh on 24 Mar 2011 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Jamie Pringle

      Jamie Pringle answered on 24 Mar 2011:

      Hello bones,

      Im involved at the search stage, so if I can help the Police find a buried object or objects, then they have a case – it is currently very difficult to convict someone for murder if there is no body found. Sometimes however we are brought in to check that there isnt anything buried somewhere, which then rules that out for further investigation which would have cost money, time and resources.

      Normally I am involved in one particular stage, most investigations are much more complex although this is Mark’s area so no doubt he can answer much more comprehensively than me,

    • Photo: Mark Hill

      Mark Hill answered on 24 Mar 2011:

      Hi Bones,

      Sometimes we do our own testing, for instance dummy drag-testing, to work out the frictional coefficients of different road surfaces and clothing.

      Other research may be literature reviews.Let me give you an example. I investigated a single motorcycle collision in which two people on it died. Both had high levels of alcohol in them. Toxicology also showed the rider had ‘significant’ levels of cocaine metabolite ( benzoylecgonine ) and cannabinoids.

      I researched a lot into scientific papers which had tested the effects of these drugs and their effects when taken with alcohol, to try and identify how it may have affected the rider’s perception of speed and judgement.

      I know it sounds obvious, but it has been established that shortly after taking cocaine senses are heightened, as is the sense of judgement when conducting physical tasks. However, in the combination above, and after a short while beyond the taking of cocaine, the effects are very much reversed. Furthermore, the combined effects of cannabinoids and alcohol are greater than their singular effect. This was important to establish a full picture of the collision.

      I hope that this puts literature review research into the context of my job.

      Mark.

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