forensic databases

Question 1

what is a database?

Answer 1

A computerised system

A collection of tables – each item in the database is a record, and each record is made up of several fields

Question 2

what 3 things are made easier by a database?

Answer 2

search
select
store info

Question 3

why do we used databases in forensics?

Answer 3

Databases help us catalogue information

Non database = more people more house

Question 4

what % of the population is on the NDNAD?

Answer 4

10%

Question 5

What is the NDNAD officially called?

Answer 5

UK National Criminal Intelligence DNA Database

Question 6

PACE

Answer 6

Anyone sampled under PACE - Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, will have a sample of their DNA in the database, but it also contains samples of DNA found at crime scenes

Question 7

what are the three advantages of NDNAD?

Answer 7

Time saving

• Can be left to run a search without someone watching over the process
• Can speed up a case if there is a match in the database
• Can be easily updated with new DNA

Space saving

• Doesn’t take up an entire building
• Can have one database

Consistent
- Accredited labs across UK can access NDNAD so a criminal could commit a crime anywhere and leave their DNA at the scene and have a match to a crime elsewhere in the UK

Question 8

what are the three disadvantages of NDNAD?

Answer 8

Ethical
- Is it ethical to have all these samples of DNA in a database like this?

Out of date
- Older samples might not be as accurate as newer samples, should they still be in the database

Completeness
- The database doesn’t have everyone’s DNA in it so may not find a match to a criminal – a database is only as good as the data it contains or the search terms used.

Question 9

important point to remember

Answer 9

a database is only as good as the data it contains or the search terms used.

Question 10

adding data

Answer 10

Form

Specific fields to include

Notes or extra information

Update to add new fields

You might not have all the information for the record you are adding but if you can fill in as many of the fields as possible then there is more of a chance to find a match when you are searching and cross-referencing items

Depending on what the database contains information on will depend what fields it needs for an item. Some databases may need to have additional fields added when newer items come out

Question 11

searching a database

Answer 11

Specific

Will search for exactly what you typed – or mistyped

Will not include or exclude

Might require some special terminology

Question 12

presenting results

Answer 12

There are different ways data can be presented

Could be dependent on the number of matches

Only one match could show the entire record

Several matched could present a list

Question 13

what are the 9 types of database?

Answer 13

Centralised
Distributed
On site
Across site
In the cloud
Relational
-	Tables within the database are linked 
Object-orientated
-	Each item/record is an object rather than a person
SQL
-	Structured query language
Unstructured

Question 14

what is the 3 step process inside the database?

Answer 14

Initial search terms

Refine search terms

Sift through results manually