ABSTRACT
The dynamics of trace evidence is an important concept to incorporate into the practice and understanding of each phase of the forensic science process (collection, analysis, interpretation and presentation of evidence). This chapter demonstrates that experimental studies can make an important contribution to establishing empirical evidence bases that can form the foundation for evidence-based trace material collection, analysis, and interpretation. Whilst it is acknowledged that experimental studies are generally restricted in their scope and can only account for a limited number of variables, they have a significant and demonstrable role to play in the development of evidence bases for understanding what trace evidence means in a particular scenario.
