Methods of Inquiry
Unit 5 Midterm Assignment
William A. Hall
CJ 210 Criminal Investigations
November 20th, 2012
1. What are methods of inquiry and how are they used in criminal investigation?
A method of inquiry must be based on gathering observable practical evidence subject to reasoning. The method of inquiry must be used to reconstruct the past. Methods of inquiry used in criminal investigation are who, what, when, where, why, and how for example who is the victim or suspect, what is or was the problem, when the crime took place, where it took place, why it happened and how it happened. This is used to figure out the identity of the perpetrator, an example of this would be gathering evidence from databases. Another example would be the gathering of evidence from a crime scene.
2. What is the optimal mindset of an investigator and how are the concepts associated with the optimal mindset of an investigator manifest?
The optimal mindset of an investigator is someone that can look for the reason behind the crime and be able to process the evidence collected and come up with the answer in a quick and timely manner. In my own opinion, I think the optimal mindset is where the investigator can take all the evidence from a crime scene and come up with the answer without getting emotionally involved in the crime or be bias in the investigation. If, however, this does not happen I believe things may be overlooked in the investigation. I don’t think this mindset is automatic but I believe it can be developed through proper training.
3. What is the scientific method and how is it applied to criminal investigation by criminal investigators?
The scientific method is the procedure of asking observing, analyzing, and solving problems in an objective manner. The scientific method is used by criminal investigators to determine who committed the crime, how they did it, why the crime occurred, when it occurred, and where it happened. The steps to the scientific method are,
William A. Hall
CJ 210 Criminal Investigations
November 20th, 2012
1. What are methods of inquiry and how are they used in criminal investigation?
A method of inquiry must be based on gathering observable practical evidence subject to reasoning. The method of inquiry must be used to reconstruct the past. Methods of inquiry used in criminal investigation are who, what, when, where, why, and how for example who is the victim or suspect, what is or was the problem, when the crime took place, where it took place, why it happened and how it happened. This is used to figure out the identity of the perpetrator, an example of this would be gathering evidence from databases. Another example would be the gathering of evidence from a crime scene.
2. What is the optimal mindset of an investigator and how are the concepts associated with the optimal mindset of an investigator manifest?
The optimal mindset of an investigator is someone that can look for the reason behind the crime and be able to process the evidence collected and come up with the answer in a quick and timely manner. In my own opinion, I think the optimal mindset is where the investigator can take all the evidence from a crime scene and come up with the answer without getting emotionally involved in the crime or be bias in the investigation. If, however, this does not happen I believe things may be overlooked in the investigation. I don’t think this mindset is automatic but I believe it can be developed through proper training.
3. What is the scientific method and how is it applied to criminal investigation by criminal investigators?
The scientific method is the procedure of asking observing, analyzing, and solving problems in an objective manner. The scientific method is used by criminal investigators to determine who committed the crime, how they did it, why the crime occurred, when it occurred, and where it happened. The steps to the scientific method are,
References: Osterburg, James W. & Ward Richard H. Criminal Investigation: A Method for Reconstructing the Past, 6th Edition, Elsevier 2010