Helpful Tools for Research

Wikipedia and Forensic Science International: Genetics, are both helpful tools for researching the use of genetics in forensic science. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia for any web user wishing to search a particular subject. It is user-produced and edited, so anyone can add information to any particular subject searched. It provides you with a brief definition and or description of the subject you are searching. Its purpose is to give you an idea of several different subdivisions that you can further search, as well as websites that may further assist you. Forensic Science International: Genetics, is an online science journal. The science report, "Cell free DNA as a component of forensic evidence recovered from touched surfaces," is written by Ignacio Quinones and Barbara Daniel. It is written primarily for those in the science community and law enforcement fields. It is used to inform and teach on a particular subject or technique, and the information has been thoroughly researched.

Wikipedia doesn't work at all toward proving any particular point or lesson. It reads easy for a wide range of people. For example, Wikipedia says, "The process begins with a sample of an individual's DNA (typically called a "reference sample")." It then goes on to break down and describe techniques that are used, instead of assuming that you already know the various techniques or jargon used in this particular field. If you choose to use Wikipedia information in a paper, you need to investigate and look further into the information for proof of its validity, since any web user can edit the articles. If you Google, is Wikipedia a credible source, the Wikipedia page itself states, "Wikipedia is not considered a credible source. Wikipedia is increasingly used by people in the academic community, from freshman students to professors, as an easily accessible tertiary source for information about anything and everything.

However, citation of Wikipedia in research papers may be considered unacceptable, because Wikipedia is not considered a credible or authoritative source." ("Wikipedia")

Wikipedia, though easy to read, would be more like DNA profiling for dummies. It is written in a very informal way. For example, "DNA profiling (also called DNA testing, DNA typing, or genetic fingerprinting) is a technique employed by forensic scientists to to assist in the identification of individuals by their respective DNA profiles" (paragraph 1). The sentences and paragraphs are kept pretty short, and they don't use a lot of overpowering jargon to confuse you. It gives a small description, a list of topics, and then breaks down the topics giving little snippets on each of the topics, a long list of references, and then some external links, which is a standard format for a Wikipedia entry. If you are new the to the subject, it can be a very helpful tool. If you are well versed and

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