What Are the Methods of Inquiry and How Are They Used in Criminal Investigation?

Topics: Scientific method, Science, Hypothesis Pages: 2 (739 words) Published: March 31, 2012
1.What are the methods of inquiry and how are they used in criminal investigation? The method of inquiry is based on gathering observable, empirical and measureable evidence. Basically, methods of inquiry are ways that an investigator gathers the information for the case that they are investigating. Methods of inquiry are used in criminal investigation by collecting evidence, statement collection, and going through electronic databases and even the internet. The methods of inquiry are all used in conjunction to reconstruct the crime scene. The methods are also used by utilizing the five W’s, who, what, when, where, and why, and also how. There are three methods of inquiry that are used in an investigation and those are authority method, tenacity method, and intuition. For example of a method of inquiry, is when an investigator is collecting the statements from either the victims or witnesses. The investigator will take all the information and evidence that is collected, compile it all together and come up with the reconstruction of the crime that was committed.

2.What is the optimal mindset of an investigator and how are the concepts associated with the optimal mindset of an investigator manifest? The optimal mindset of an investigator is one that is able to look for the motive of the crime that is at hand and able to investigate all the possibilities of even the most obvious evidence that has been gathered. In my own opinion, I think that an optimal mindset is where the investigator can process all the evidence at hand, in their mind and come up with a conclusion of what occurred. Also I believe that the mindset is one that can be taught through training and experience.

3.What is the scientific method and how is it applied to criminal investigation by criminal investigators? Scientific method is defined by the World English Dictionary as “a method of investigation in which a problem is first identified and observations, experiments, or other...
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