Welcome to the Investigative Sciences e-Journal, a refereed journal, where you have free access to an electronic media regarding the latest information of interest to investigators, both private and public.  Your Managing editor is James M. Adcock, PhD, who brings over thirty years investigative experience to the table and is presently teaching at the University of New Haven, West Haven, CT.  The editorial board, advisors and reviewers come from many professional endeavors and are by far the best and most experienced in their respective fields of work or study.  Our unified goal is to always provide the most scholarly and technically accurate material possible because we want you to be better at what you do in the investigative world.  The expected audience is a combination of academicians, criminal investigators, private investigators, police administrators, attorneys, and members of the general public with an interest in the field of investigations.

     Our primary focus is to publish original research reports, evaluated practices, legal and policy analysis related to the investigative process.   The journal will also occasionally publish presentations of cases where investigative practices significantly impacted the results.  It will also publish technical articles, and occasionally program descriptions, relevant to such research and discussion of issues arising from the investigative process, its aftermath and appropriate responses at both the individual and systems levels. 

     The Journal is multidisciplinary and oriented towards meeting the needs of practitioners, academics, researchers, program managers and policy-makers by providing a vehicle for dissemination of the highest quality of applied knowledge and practice.  It will include the following:

Featured Research Articles

          Primary purpose of the Investigative Sciences Journal is the publication of full-length research articles.  Both individual and group designs are appropriate.  Both qualitative and quantitative studies of high caliber are appropriate.

Research Articles

          Research articles requiring less detailed descriptions of background, methodology, or findings, studies that are primarily analogue in nature, and controlled case studies will be considered for publication as brief research articles (Frequently described as a Research Note).

Literature Reviews

          Literature reviews which demonstrate current field knowledge are of particular interest.  The journal intends to provide information to the field of investigations that summarizes the current state of knowledge and best practice. 

Legal and Policy Analysis

          Articles that contribute to the field's understanding of law and policy issues relevant to both criminal and civil investigations.  Additionally, articles focused on the implementation of law and policy measures and the impact of these laws and policies on all types of investigations are encouraged.  These articles may be in the areas of law and policy theory-building, comparative analyses, evaluations of policy initiatives, or in other, related legal and policy formats with implications for supervisors, investigators and the investigative process.   

Technical Articles

          Manuscripts contributing primarily to research methodology, data analysis, or instrumentation may be accepted as technical articles.  Additionally, short notes that summarize the utilization of new or novel investigative tools, instruments, or methods are encouraged.

Innovations

          The development of new areas of application or program evaluations using sound data collection procedures may warrant special review criteria and inclusion in the journal.  Innovations will be judged by the following criteria:  (a) the methodology is sufficiently described to allow replication, (b) the topic is of interest to investigators and their supervisors, and (c) the study contributes to our understanding of investigations and best practices in conducting investigations.

Book reviews

          As books on topics related to this journal become available, they will be reviewed by the appropriate expert and published.

Case Studies

          Information gleaned from actual experiences is always helpful.  It is our intent to pass these along to you especially investigative processes that significantly impacted the results of an investigation.

Special Topics

It is expected that the journal will solicit articles on specific topics critical to the field of investigations and possibly related disciplines.  Special issues may cover such topics as:  investigative responsibilities for first responders, the application of investigative interviewing techniques, evidentiary issues and concerns of investigators, supervisors roles in the investigative process, impact of investigative procedures on the solvability of crimes, investigative responses to specific types of crimes, proper consideration of behavioral issues regarding victims, witnesses and suspects, etc.  Frequently, guest editors with specialized expertise will be recruited to serve as editors for these special issue editions of the journal.

     The journal will also have a global interest in the field of investigations addressing issues, problems and concerns of investigators and investigative agencies around the world.   Given this international interest additional topics may be found in other areas of the world and special issues could be developed periodically with a particular focus on relevant comparative pieces to interest this larger audience.

Submissions are encouraged.  We look forward to being of service to the investigative community.  Comments and suggestions are welcome.  Thank you.

James M. Adcock, PhD

Journal Manager

The Investigative Sciences Journal