During a forensics course, students learn how to analyze evidence and use that analysis to pinpoint a specific suspect or find more about a suspect. The project can be as simple as analyzing a fingerprint or involve more complex ideas. For example, a student might opt to use actual crime scene photographs and analyze the photos for information. The student examines the photographs closely, looking for any potential evidence or clues that might point to the suspect.
Biometrics looks at how specific personality traits are found in every person. Some classes ask students to study the handwriting, tone and even irises of their classmates to determine their traits. Biometrics is also used with computers, finding how keystrokes, mouse movement and other computer skills relate to the individual's personality. One project using biometrics might examine the way other students or friends write and what their handwriting reveals about their personalities. The student looks for traits shared by people of the same sex, economic status or race.
Profiling is a field of criminal justice that uses evidence to create a profile of the suspect. It is used for minor crimes, such as robbery, and in more complex cases, including serial killers. Profiling is frequently used when a criminal commits a series of similar crimes, but the police have not yet identified a suspect. The profiler gathers the evidence, looks for connections and creates an outline of the person's personality and any traits that might help authorities identify the criminal. Students can write a paper on the history of profiling, examine a famous profiling case or attempt to create their own profile for a recent crime.
Documentation is a major part of forensics because it gives the scientist the evidence they need to find the suspect. Students interested in crime scene investigation might focus their project on a day in the life of an investigator, while students more interested in the laboratory can focus on what scientists do in the lab. Other students may prefer a project that examines recent changes and advances in the documentation field, including new machinery or new techniques.