Kies op maat - Forensic Research Skills (2024)

The DNA sample you send to a database to find out more about your ancestry, the street cameras that watch your movements, the pictures and information you put on your social media. What can happen with this data behind the forensic scenes?

Overview content

In this minor we will take you behind those forensic scenes in three projects:

DNA data(bases)
In this project, you will dive into the latest developments in the world of DNA data(bases), such as the use of epigenetics to reveal donor profiling information, DNA phenotyping and the use of commercial DNA databases. You’ll take on a role as a policy advisor that has to inform the Dutch government how to deal with these developments in a forensic context. You’ll critically evaluate the benefits but also limitations and dilemmas that come with one of these developments to be able to formulate an advice. What can or should we implement right away? What looks promising, but is still in its infancy so not ready to be applied in real-life forensic cases?

Open Source Intelligence

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) is the process of gathering, interpreting, and analyzing data from (semi-)publicly available sources. In this project, we focus specifically on online sources and digital data. The amount of data that is being pushed on to the internet every second of every day is immense nowadays. How can you use this information to your advantage in a forensic context? That is what we will show you in this project, mainly focusing on finding and gathering information from social media (SOCMINT) and identifying a specific geographic location (geolocating). This project offers you the unique opportunity to step into the role of (digital) OSINT investigator. In taking on this role, you learn about the key aspects crucial to good OSINT research, namely operational security, structured methodology, proper documentation and reporting, and ethical considerations.

Forensic Biometrics

Biometrics isthe measurement and analysis of unique physical (and sometimes behavioural) characteristics as a means of identification. In this project, we focus specifically on three biometric categories that are especially relevant in the current societal and scientific (forensic) context: gait, face, and fingerprints. What are different methods, tools, and techniques within these biometric categories? What are the (potential) benefits, limitations and (forensic) impact of their use to identify suspects? Taking on the role of scientific researcher, you will dive into the literature to answer these questions. This allows you to identify areas within existing research where there is an absence or insufficient coverage of your topic (‘gaps’). You will choose one such gap that you think should be filled to further enhance scientific practice, and set up and conduct an experiment to contribute to filling that gap.

Things to keep in mind when choosing this minor

• The minor involves you doing a lot of research.
• You will conduct a lot of this research in an interdisciplinary project team of 3 - 6 students.
• The research skills you develop in this minor are useful in the forensic field and (way) beyond.
• You won’t be doinglaboratory or crime scene investigation work.
• Various experts from the field tell you about their work and/or research almost weekly in guest lectures.
• All educational activities (classes, assignments) and study materials are in English.
• You are expected to come to our campus in Amsterdam two times a week (on average).
• The minor is full time.

Communication and information
The digital learning environment Brightspace is used for communication. You can also find (links to) all the relevant materials and information there. Please subscribe to the Brightspace pagebefore the minor starts. You can access Brightspace via:https://dlo.mijnhva.nl/. To log in, use your AUAS (= HvA) email address and corresponding password. If you do not see the minor as a course yet, navigate to the Course Selector. Search for the course: ‘Forensic Research Skills’. Make sure to select the page for the right semester.

For questions about the content of the minor, you can contact the minor team viaminor-frs-ft@hva.nl.

After completing this minor, you are able to:

• use appropriate search techniques and tools to systematically search information in digital open sources and forensically relevant databases;
• evaluate the reliability and relevance of information you find during your research within a forensic context.
• systematically structure and analyze large amounts of information/data
• describe the current state of knowledge on a specific, forensically relevant topic based on literature, to identify gaps in existing research.
• select appropriate research methods to design an experimental study that is feasible and ethical.
• collect data from an experiment and employ statistical techniques to analyze this data.
• report about research you conducted in a correct, coherent, and concise way, both in written and oral form.
• critically assess the (potential) advantages and disadvantages of the availability of DNA, biometric and open source digital data in a forensic context
• use logical reasoning and valid arguments to defend your point of view on the use of DNA data(bases) for forensic purposes.
• reflect in a team on personal contributions from team members and to take responsibility for individual and group contributions.

The minor is open to students from all educational backgrounds, no specific prior knowledge is required. Students with no background in (forensic) science and/or biology are offered additional materials to catch up on some basics. Since the minor is in English, at least some affinity with this language is desirable.

We meet twice a week on campus (± 8 hours in total). There will be lectures from the minor team, but also guest lectures from experts from the (forensic) field, and tutorials and workshops in which we work on the assignments. Together with the study materials, the classes help you gain knowledge and skills, as well as provide the necessary guidelines for conducting your research. It is therefore vital you are present at all classes.

Contact time:
8 contact hours per week

The assessment of this minor consists of 1 test per project for which you receive a grade (0-10). These tests are:

• DNA data(bases): Advisory report
• OSINT: Research report
• Biometrics: Poster presentation

To receive the 30 ECTS for this minor, you need to:

• Get a grade of ≥5.5 foreachof the projects.
• Participate in the debate as part of the DNA data(bases) project.

There is one resit opportunity for all projects per semester. For the final project, the resit opportunity falls outside the semester in which you take the minor, and is offered within the next month.

If a student fails to successfully complete the minor in the period in which they took the minor, it is possible to finalize the minor in a following period in which the minor is given.
If a minor is no longer offered or if the minor has been rewritten, the degree program will offer the student two further opportunities to finalize this minor the following year.

Study materials: €15.

Questions about the minor?
Contact minor-frs-ft@hva.nl.
Contact Brent Maagdelijn: b.p.maagdelijn@hva.nl

Questions about the Kies-Op-Maat procedure?
Contact: Monique Ax-Bervoets, Christian van Dokkum minoren-techniek@hva.nl

Applications will be processed in the order of the receipt of signed learning agreements. There are 15 places available for Kies op Maat students.