
Professor James Fraser
Research Professor
Pure and Applied Chemistry
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Crafting credible homicide narratives : forensic technoscience in contemporary criminal investigations Brookman Fiona, Jones Helen, Williams Robin, Fraser Jim Deviant Behavior Vol 43, pp. 340-366 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2020.1837692 We need to talk about dialogue : accomplishing collaborative sensemaking in homicide investigations Jones Helen, Brookman Fiona, Williams Robin, Fraser Jim Police Journal Vol 94, pp. 572-589 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258x20970999 Effective use of forensic science in volume crime investigations : identifying recurring themes in the literature Ludwig Anika, Fraser Jim Science and Justice Vol 54, pp. 81–88 (2014) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scijus.2013.09.006 A study of the variability in footwear impression comparison conclusions Hammer Lesley, Duffy Kate, Fraser Jim, Nic Daeid Niamh Journal of Forensic Identification (2012) Affect of impact angle variations on area of origin determination in bloodstain pattern analysis Connolly Candace, Illes Mike, Fraser Jim Forensic Science International (2012) Forensic science and policing in Scotland Fraser J, Ludwig A Policing in Scotland (2010) (2010)
Publications
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Forensic Horizons 2013 Keynote/plenary speaker 6/11/2013 Forensic Horizons 2013 Keynote/plenary speaker 11/2013 STIRLING COUNCIL Visiting researcher 15/9/2012 JUSTICE Scotland (External organisation) Member 31/7/2012 Elsevier Science (Publisher) Editor 11/7/2012 Fingerprints - a road map for reform 2 Organiser 10/7/2012
The influence of occupational culture on forensic science use in the Scottish Crime Campus Fraser, Jim (Principal Investigator) The aim of the project is to understand how the professional cultures, perceptions, practices and knowledge of the different agencies involved in the Forensic Gateway impact on the effectiveness and ongoing development of the Gateway. 01-Jan-2015 - 18-Jan-2015 Evaluation of the National Forensic Science Gateway Fraser, Jim (Principal Investigator) One of the primary aims of the creation of the Scottish Crime Campus at Gartcosh, was the integration of criminal justice agencies in order to improve service provision on a national scale. Currently, a key area for consideration is more effective and efficient provision of forensic science to the Scottish criminal justice system. To address this issue, a central hub for allocation of resources and prioritisation of forensic work is being implemented introducing multi-agency decision making– the Forensic Gateway. ‘The National [forensic] Gateway will focus on delivering the most effective utilisation of Forensic Science to deliver the strategic requirements of Police Scotland and COPFS.’ Given that this approach is a significant departure from previous practices, there is an agreement on the part of the main stakeholders, that a formal evaluation is essential, to assess the effectiveness of the Gateway. This proposal aims to deliver this evaluation. 01-Jan-2015 - 30-Jan-2015 Homicide Investigation and Forensic Science: Tracing Processes, Analysing Practices Fraser, Jim (Principal Investigator) 05-Jan-2015 - 04-Jan-2018 Homicide Investigation and Forensic Science: Tracing Processes, Analysing Practices Fraser, Jim (Co-investigator) Assertions of the increasing importance of science and technology to the security and policing of contemporary
society have been the subject of widespread academic commentary, including studies of systems of surveillance
(e.g. Zuriek & Salter, 2005; Lyon, 2006) and of the introduction of new technologies for risk management (e.g.
Ericson & Haggerty, 1997; Williams & Johnson, 2008). This historical development has been described as the
‘scientification’ (Ericson & Shearing, 1986), or the ‘technification’ (Nogala, 1995) of police work, and is a
phenomenon which exemplifies a wider assumption that science and technology have the power to settle
intractable social issues, including those of security and social order (Geertz, 1983).
Forensic science constitutes a subset of these scientific and technological applications. Recent work has drawn
attention to variations in the disciplinary foundations of different domains of forensic science (e.g. National
Research Council, 2009), the potential problems of ‘reliance on science’ for criminal justice (e.g. Garrett, 2011), 01-Jan-2015 - 30-Jan-2017 Fingerprints - a road map for reform workshop 1 Fraser, Jim (Principal Investigator) 19-Jan-2012 - 21-Jan-2012 Fingerprints: A road map for reform Fraser, Jim (Academic) Black, Sue (Academic) 19-Jan-2012 - 30-Jan-2012
Professional Activities
Projects
society have been the subject of widespread academic commentary, including studies of systems of surveillance
(e.g. Zuriek & Salter, 2005; Lyon, 2006) and of the introduction of new technologies for risk management (e.g.
Ericson & Haggerty, 1997; Williams & Johnson, 2008). This historical development has been described as the
‘scientification’ (Ericson & Shearing, 1986), or the ‘technification’ (Nogala, 1995) of police work, and is a
phenomenon which exemplifies a wider assumption that science and technology have the power to settle
intractable social issues, including those of security and social order (Geertz, 1983).
Forensic science constitutes a subset of these scientific and technological applications. Recent work has drawn
attention to variations in the disciplinary foundations of different domains of forensic science (e.g. National
Research Council, 2009), the potential problems of ‘reliance on science’ for criminal justice (e.g. Garrett, 2011),
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Contact
Professor
James
Fraser
Research Professor
Pure and Applied Chemistry
Email: jim.fraser@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 548 2069