The Role of Forensic Geology in Criminal Investigations

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to collect high-quality submissions in the research field of forensic geology. Forensic geology can be used in a variety of investigations, such as the search for missing persons, the analysis of soil and rock samples at a crime scene, the identification of materials used in the commission of a crime, the analysis of natural disasters, and the investigation of environmental crimes. We encourage researchers from various fields within the journals’ scope to contribute papers that address the latest developments in their research field or invite relevant experts and colleagues to do so.

The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following: soil and sediment analysis (involving the analysis of soil and sediment samples to determine their composition, texture, and other physical characteristics) which is used to link a suspect or victim to a crime scene, or to identify the origin of soil found on a suspect's clothing or footwear; rock and mineral analysis (involving the analysis of rocks and minerals found at a crime scene, such as those used as weapons or in the construction of a building); geomorphology to study the physical features of the earth's surface, such as mountains, valleys, and rivers, to help identify the location of a crime or the source of a natural disaster; environmental analysis to study environmental problems, such as pollution, deforestation, and illegal dumping; and geoarchaeology to understand the environment and the dynamics of a crime, through the study of high-definition aerial and satellite images, detailed thematic mapping, geophysics, as well as on-site detection.

Both original research articles and comprehensive review papers are welcome. You are welcome to send short proposals for Special Issue feature papers to our Editorial Office (forensicsci@mdpi.com) prior to submission.

Dr. Pier Matteo Barone
Dr. Rosa Maria Di Maggio
Dr. Laurance Donnelly
Dr. Mariano Mercurio
Dr. Alastair Ruffell
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forensic Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.