| The Justice system has made several advances | | | | methodologies as well as reinforce policy issues. |
| in the technology of forensics. Forensics, or the | | | | The LIMS should be an integral part of the entire |
| science of discovery of the facts of criminal | | | | laboratory information system, and used as a |
| cases, has been a staple of criminal investigators | | | | watchdog for all the data streaming into the |
| for decades. The use of specialized equipment and | | | | database, as well as making sure the intricate |
| personnel trained for this specific discipline is | | | | processes and policies are being followed |
| necessary for developing the facts in truth for a | | | | discernibly. |
| criminal case. Tracking the information acquired | | | | Criminal cases are having more and more |
| for this requires specialized informational and | | | | revealing evidence coming forward due to |
| database handling. Laboratory Information | | | | forensics and the investigative team. Most of this |
| Management Systems allow for the cataloguing, | | | | information will be used in a court of law, and can |
| tagging, and sorting of the information brought | | | | determine the outcome of a particular case. |
| forth by the forensic investigating team. | | | | Having confidence in the LIMS product to maintain |
| Laboratory information management systems, or | | | | this information and present it in an easily |
| LIMS, are an essential part of forensic medicine | | | | understood format is so essential that most |
| and forensic scientific study. Maintaining control of | | | | investigative bodies would be lost without it. |
| specific investigative details securely is part of this | | | | LIMS products should also have compatibility |
| discipline, and needed in a court of law. During a | | | | issues solved for all types of hardware and |
| criminal investigation, the flow of discovery | | | | software used in the forensic investigations. The |
| material can be overwhelming, from field analysis | | | | product Interfaces with chemistry, hematology, |
| to laboratory scrutiny of police confiscated | | | | and microbiological systems, as well as |
| materials. Providing a database of the results of | | | | microscopic imagery hardware should be seamless |
| these investigative principles is needed for the | | | | and without data corruption. A case could easily |
| compiling of a set of facts being used in the court | | | | be dismissed if there is any doubt of the reliability |
| system. | | | | of the forensic investigative teams' performance. |
| LIMS comes in a variety of formats and brands, | | | | A reliable forensic LIMS product should also have |
| but the fundamental usage of this in forensic | | | | a support system that is unrivaled. A good |
| investigation is for the maintaining of the | | | | system should have support personnel that are |
| information acquired. Currently, the framework | | | | trained in the forensic methodologies so they |
| being used for the more common LIMS is based | | | | have knowledge to better aid their customers. |
| on the.NET framework. This software execution | | | | Any type of discrepancy that may come up |
| framework is specifically designed to run Microsoft | | | | during the software or equipment connected to |
| product lines and applications. It is a stable | | | | the operating system should be easily and helpfully |
| platform for database management systems, so | | | | handled by the support personnel. |
| is favored for software involving LIMS. | | | | LIMS are in the forefront of forensic database |
| There are important factors when determining | | | | maintenance and revelation management. Without |
| the best LIMS for a particular forensic laboratory. | | | | this vital system integrated within a forensic |
| A great LIMS does not govern the laboratory | | | | laboratory, reliable systems and data |
| that it is installed in; rather it should greatly aid in | | | | management would become corrupted and |
| the organization and maintenance of data and | | | | useless for court findings. |