Why Should You Start a Research Project?

            In this article, I will take you through the general process of starting your research project and publishing your work in a recognized scientific journal. This task might feel daunting at first, but it’s something that is obtainable and you just have to take one step at a time. Being a good scientist is important, which includes being able to follow procedures and understanding the theory behind the things that we do. But, there is another level that is crucial to the scientific field, and that is to start or participate in a research project. Our science is based on research, and it only moves forward or solidifies its validity through the constant publication of scientific articles.

            If you’re a student you may think that a research project is something that you just have to do to pass a class or receive your degree. But it’s so much more than that. As a forensic scientist, you may think that your idea doesn’t matter or that the field has already been fully developed. This is not the case, the field will always have a question to answer or have a technique or procedure that can be refined or given more validity. And if you are a part of a scientific organization this is exactly what they were created to do, aid researchers and spread ideas.

            As you read through this article, I hope to give you a vision or a path to start your own research project. You are the one who can move the science forward in your own discipline. Take that next-level initiative and become a contributor to the field.  

Finding the Next Great Idea

            The most important part of publishing your research is to have a research idea. Hopefully, you have an idea in mind, and if not, I will show you some places that may give you an idea. If you’re a college student, your best option may be to join an ongoing research that is currently being conducted at your institution. Alternatively, you can find a mentor to help you with your new research. The mentor you pick should be working or teaching the relevant subject area so that they can better assist you.

            If you are not part of an intuition or looking for your own idea, then internet research will be your best friend. A great place to start your research is looking within a scientific organization that you are a part of or one that aligns with your area of research. For example, AFTE has a committee that will aid examiners in finding a research project that was either abandoned or is needed to fill a gap in the science. Most likely your professional organization will have something similar. OSAC, which is found on the NIST website, posts areas of research that are needed by the scientific community. These areas are created from other research projects that created more questions to be answered, or areas that are under scrutiny and need more research to flush out.

            I would like to share a quick success story. A college student used the forums for AFTE to find a research idea and acquire a mentor. He then conducted his research with his mentor’s supervision and guidance. When it came time for the AFTE Annual meeting he presented his work, and everyone was amazed by the amount of dedication this college student had. Because of this, supervisors from different labs walked up onto the stage to give them their business cards so he could apply to their laboratory. From this story, it shows the importance of using the resources that these scientific organizations offer. Sometimes, these organizations offer great resources, but they are seldom used.

            After your searching, you will come to an idea that you are passionate about and then the literature review process starts. This is where you will learn what your forefathers accomplished to see if there are any missing pieces in the research or where the research can be expanded upon. At this point you may find out your idea has already been covered excessively and you may need to either tweak your idea or change it altogether. Otherwise, you have secured your idea and are now laser-focused on it. The next step is how will you be funding this new idea.

Funding Your Great Idea

Below is a small summary of some grant opportunities. If you would like more information on a specific grant, feel free to click on the hyperlinks. This list is only meant to guide you in the right direction to seek research funding opportunities, many other grants can be found, especially ones that are specific to your research area.

AFTE

Research and Development (Members): This is a research grant that is given to regular members in AFTE to conduct research in the field of firearm and toolmark identification. I have applied for this grant twice and was accepted with both submissions. Since I went through this process I will provide more detail about this grant.  

This grant requires that an application be filled out with the following attachments: a project proposal abstract, a signed rules and assurance form, a budget worksheet, a small literature review of reference material, and a current CV/Resume. Once the application packet is completed it is sent to the Research and Development (R&D) committee for consideration. If the committee approves the application, it is then sent to the Board of Directors for their blessing. Once you achieve their blessing you will receive a check for the seed money, which is 10%-20% of the projected budget. Once the research is completed the R&D committee will reimburse you the remaining amount. Once the money is accepted, it is agreed that the research will be published and will be presented at the Annual Conference.

Research and Development (Students/Trainees) – This grant is similar to the grant above but is only offered to students and trainees in the field of firearm and toolmark identification. This grant also requires that you seek a mentor who is an AFTE member to guide you in your research.

Before moving on to the next grant opportunities I just want to share something I heard from the R&D committee when I attended the last AFTE Annual Conference. The R&D committee discussed how they would like to receive more applications for grant money because they do not receive many applications during the budget year. This was touched upon earlier when I said a lot of these organizations provide valuable resources but they are seldom used, which, to your benefit, will increase your chance of being awarded a grant.

NEAFS

Carol De Forest Forensic Science Research Grant – This grant will award $2,500 for research projects conducted by full-time undergraduate and graduate students. Two awards are given per year. The student must also be located in the following areas: New England, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The student must also be majoring in either a natural, allies, or forensic science program. Lastly, the student must have a research advisor from the academic institution they attend.

The student will have to submit an application with the following attachments: 3-6 page research proposal, 1-2 page statement of qualifications, CV, Transcript, and CV and recommendation from the research advisor you chose.

AAFS

Field and Lucas Research Grant – The Field Grant will fund up to $1,500 and the Lucas Grant will fund $1,501-$6,000. This grant is for researchers who initiate original in-depth, problem-oriented research. To receive this grant you must be a member, of any level, of AAFS.

The following is needed to apply for the grant: An abstract, a 1-2 page literature review with no more than 10 references, a detailed budget, a timetable and specific plan for dissemination of results, disclose any current or previous FSF research grants, and the CVs of all researchers involved.

Jan Bashinski Criminalistics Graduate Thesis Assistance Grant – The grant is for full/part-time students completing their graduate degree requirements by conducting a research project at an educational institution. The grant awards $1,850, and funds up to $1,400 to cover travel expenses for the student to present at an AAFS conference.

The student has to fill out an application with the following attachments: a 3-6 page proposal, a 1-2 page statement of qualifications, a CV, a letter of recommendation from your research advisor, and your transcript.

NIJ

Every year NIJ will award grants and cooperative agreements for research, development, evaluation, and training across the spectrum of criminal justice. The site offers a list of all projects that have been awarded, so you can get a feel of what type of projects get awarded. In the field of firearms, a company by the name of Cadre Research Labs receives a significant amount of funding from NIJ to expand the technology of 3D microscopy. NIJ will usually fund projects in their current areas of interest, and unsolicited proposals may not be accepted as easily as competitive solicitations.

Grantforward.com

This website is a valuable resource, which is used as a search engine for grant opportunities. The website will collect data about you and your research and search that information against their database and connect you to the applicable grants. This search engine does require a membership to be able to search, but John Jay students may login using their institution’s credentials. Other academic institutions may offer the same benefits, so check with your institution for details.

Elsevier Funding Solutions

Elsevier will work with researchers to provide grant money for their research, similar to the Grant Forward search engine. To use their services, they require the researcher to contact them when one of their specific product offerings is selected. Please review the website if this may be a fit for you.

Office of Justice Programs

Awards specific grants per year that offer solicitations that support the Forensic Science topics.

What Scientific Journal Fits You?

Once you completed your research it’s time to publish it in a scientific journal. If you applied for a grant, you may be required to publish in the organization’s journal. Otherwise, your choice should be based on the focus of your research. A journal like the Journal of Forensic Science will focus on multiple disciplines in forensic science. A journal like AFTE will focus on a niche group like the firearm and toolmark community. You want to pick the most appropriate journal so that you have the greatest probability of publication and for your article to reach the right group of people. Below are some journals that are commonly used by forensic scientists, this list is not exhaustive, so please look into other journals that may be better suited for your research. I recommend that if you choose a journal that is not on this list, make sure the journal is peer-reviewed. Having an article peer-reviewed will add validity to your published work. It’s one of the first things defense lawyers may ask to ensure that your article can be “trusted”.

AFTE Journal: This Journal focuses on firearms and toolmarks.

Journal of Forensic Science: This Journal publishes a wide variety of disciplines including the following: Anthropology, Criminalistics, Forensic Nursing Science, Odontology, Pathology/Biology, Psychiatry & Behavioral Science, Questioned Documents, Toxicology, Digital & Multimedia Sciences, and General. This journal will cover a lot of research ideas but is one of the toughest journals to get into.

Journal of Forensic Identification: This Journal publishes articles related to forensics. This includes anything from crime scene processing to footwear comparisons. Similar to the Journal of Forensic Science, this Journal publishes a wide range of disciplines.

Forensic Science International: This Journal is another multidiscipline publication but they publish research from around the world.

International Journal of Toxicology: This Journal is specific to toxicologists.

The Publication Process

So far, I have published twice in the AFTE Journal so I will go into some detail about that process, which will hopefully help you through your journey. The first thing I did before entering my submission, as you should do when preparing for your submission, is to look at the publication’s website and see the criteria needed for your submission. Ensure that your submission follows all the rules so that the article can be accepted and published in a timely manner.

In my case after submission, I had to go through two phases of peer review. My first peer reviewer was given my article without my name so that they would not know the identity of the author. This is to mitigate bias for well-known or hardly known authors. The peer reviewer then sends the corrections to the Journal Editor, which will then be sent back to me. The peer reviewer was unknown to me, which allowed the reviewer to be completely honest and negate any bias. At this point, I have the option to accept the corrections or reject them. I then send my corrections and response to the Journal Editor to send back to the peer reviewer. This correspondence happened a couple of times until the peer reviewer and I was happy. After we both came to an agreement the new corrected article was sent to a second peer reviewer to repeat a similar process. After the second peer review process the article was evaluated by the Journal Editor. The article was then formatted, and a draft copy of the formatted version was sent to me for approval. This was my time for any final corrections and to approve the article for publication. Finally, after this point, the article was published for all to enjoy.

Good Luck

I hope that you learned a lot from this article and please feel free to use the contact button at the top of the page if you have any questions. Just remember that the lists provided here were only a small fraction of what is available. Now go out there and contribute to the field of forensic science.