U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Communication Skills, Report Writing, and Courtroom Testimony for Forensic Analysts

Home

Home  |  Glossary  |  Resources  |  Help  |  Contact Us  |  Course Map
 

Communication Results for Forensic Analysts

Communicating Results
National Institute of Justice (NIJ) (see reuse policy).

This course provides information in the three lessons.

Communication Skills. Learn to choose the ideal modality for message delivery considering the purpose, location, and audience; effectively present technical information verbally; organize thoughts and create an extended outline before writing; and organize papers using bullet points.

Report Writing. Learn requirements for an STR (Short Tandem Repeats) DNA report and guidelines for writing a good STR DNA report.

Courtroom Testimony. Become familiar with courtroom structure and personnel within the court; basic courtroom procedures and protocols; rules of evidence, discovery, and admissibility; general qualifications to testify as an expert witness; appropriate demeanor and attire; how to present technical testimony and evidence; the ethical considerations when presenting DNA-related testimony and the impact of providing faulty or erroneous evidence; and basic techniques for handling hostile attorneys.

 

Taking the Course

Starting the course. Select the top link in the navigation on the right.

Navigating the course. We recommend you go through the course page-by-page using the Forward and Back buttons at the bottom of the page. You may skip around and select lessons using the navigation on the right.

Lessons

Information addressed in this interactive training program is delivered in two modules. Select a module below to begin.

Lesson

Communication Skills

Report Writing

Courtroom Testimony