Locard’s exchange principle states that whenever there is a contact between two objects, something will be left behind. Both surfaces will have some change due to the contact, and will have some evidence left behind because of it. Edmond Locard, for whom the idea is named for, wrote that there were countless types of evidence that could be left behind.

Of course, if an errant wristband is found at the scene of a crime, it might end up speaking volumes about the person who left it. Hair or skin could both be left on one that a victim was wearing, and suggest something about the perpetrator of a crime. However, this isn’t the only way they might be used.

Fibers from a piece of cloth used in a wristband might end up somewhere, and they can be connected with the item they came from. This can mean the difference between two different verdicts. With forensics being such a dynamic field, these seemingly minute articles can become the hinges on which the door of justice swings.

Forensic software locates, examines, and stores information gathered from a hard disk, without damaging the data. The program enables the user to view the files on a hard drive, tell at what point a record was last altered, and recover the files hat have been erased. 

This is a relatively new science, but there are nevertheless several good forensic software programs on the market. Forensic software is useful in many kinds of investigations. An inquiry might involve such incidents as sexual harassment, property theft, embezzlement, or other wrongdoing. If these incidents are to be resolved, there only two choices- you can hire an outside forensics expert, which is costly, especially if you own a small business, or purchase forensic software, and solve the problem in-house. The software program can assist the user in collecting and inspecting data, and in compiling a report. It enables the user to look at the files, determine at what point a file was changed, and find files that have been erased. This is a much less costly option, especially for small companies.

Car accidents are more likely than one might expect; they can occur due to poor road conditions, an intoxicated driver, an inexperienced driver, mechanical failure, or just bad luck in general. People fail to realize how incredibly expensive even the most minor collisions can be, due to the exorbitant prices most mechanics charge. The price to fix a “fender bender” can run anywhere from five hundred to three thousand dollars, depending on the car insurance given to the car’s owner. Often, it may not even be worth it to the insurance provider to even pay to fix the car and they will just title the car “totaled.”

When a car is totaled, the driver receives a check for however much his or her car is worth and the broken car is taken to a junkyard. Thus, every driver should take it upon themselves to learn as much about their insurance provider as possible, else they may not have enough coverage to fix even minor collision damage. It is ultimately up to the driver, not the insurer, to make sure he or she is with the correct provider.

After getting considerable experience and continuing education, some forensic psychologists will go on to become ‘Board Certified’ in the forensic psychology specialty. But not all forensic psychologists do become board certified. The best known certification board is theAmerican Board of Forensic Psychology, which offers the title of ‘diplomate’ to people who meet its standards and pass its examination. There are a few graduate programs in the United States and Canada that directly train people to become forensic psychologists during the university doctoral psychology program. A person who completes one of these programs gets training in forensic psychology at the same time as obtaining the doctoral training in clinical psychology. But additional work is still necessary for the psychologist to become a ‘board certified’ diplomate in the specialty. The following list of doctoral psychology programs that offer training in forensic psychology is built and maintained as readers send me additions and corrections. 

• Alliant International University, Fresno Campus, CA [reported by reader 3/13/03]
• American International College – Springfield MA [reported by reader 10/27/01]
• Argosy University – Campuses at various locations [reported by reader 02/06/06]
• California State University – Los Angeles [M.S. only - reported by reader 1/8/04]
• California State University – Sacramento [reported by readers as present and absent!]
• Capella University [non-resident PhD Internet program - added 8/21/98]
• Carlos Albizu University – Miami FL [reported by reader 3/1/04]
• Castleton State College – Vermont [M.A. only][added by webmaster 11/14/97)
• Chicago School of Professional Psychology [added by webmaster 1/12/02]
• College of St Elizabeth Morristown, NJ [Master's only][added by webmaster 6/02/07]
• Colorado School of Professional Psychology [reported by reader 09/24/05]
• Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, CA [added by webmaster 2/11/98]
• Florida International University [added 8/21/98]
• Florida State University
• Florida Tech, Melbourne FL [BA only] [reported by reader 3/13/03]
• Forest Institute of Psychology, Chicago IL [reported by reader 3/13/03]
• Illinois School of Professional Psychology [added 8/21/98]
• John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York [PhD beginning Fall 2004][reported by reader 2/13/04]
• Miami Institute of Psychology [reported by reader 10/30/99]
• Northwestern University [reader reports it's no longer available 6/2/01]
• Nova Southereastern University [reported by reader 10/30/99]
• Pacific Graduate School of Psychology [reported by reader 07/01/04]
• Queen’s University, Kingston Ontario
• Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI, [MA only] [reported by reader 11/01/05]
• Sam Houston State University, Huntsville TX [added by webmaster 6/11/97]
• Simon Fraser University
• State University of New York at Buffalo [reported as not available by reader]
• Tiffin University, Ohio [M.A. only][M.A. not yet accredited][added by webmaster 2/11/98]
• University of Alabama
• University of British Columbia
• University of California at Los Angeles [M.A. only][reported by reader 2/28/01]
• University of Denver, Denver CO [M.A. only][reported by reader 3/13/03]
• University of Illinois at Chicago Circle
• University of Liverpool, UK [M.Sc. in Investigative Psychology][reported by reader 3/11/04]
• University of Kansas
• University of Nebraska at Lincoln
• University of Kentucky
• University of Nevada-Reno [for jury consulting - contact R. Dillehay PhD - added 8/21/98}
• University of Virginia in School of Education - contact D. Cornell PhD [added by webmaster 4/09/02]