New Interdisciplinary Frontiers in Forensic Sciences: Innovations, Ethical Principles and Collaborative Approaches
A special issue of Forensic Sciences (ISSN 2673-6756).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 380
Special Issue Editors
Interests: legal medicine
Interests: legal medicine; clinical and forensic toxicology; insurance medicine; bioethics; endometrial cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: forensic medicine
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Forensic sciences are constantly evolving and are currently undergoing a radical transformation, primarily driven by the integration of advanced technologies and the adoption of interdisciplinary approaches drawing from various fields of knowledge. While forensic sciences once relied mainly on traditional and well-established techniques, today they benefit from contributions across multiple domains, from biotechnology to psychology, criminology to law, and pathology to artificial intelligence.
Interdisciplinarity is thus one of the driving forces behind this change, as the fight against crime increasingly demands a multidimensional approach. Criminal investigations are now more frequently required to examine evidence that not only calls for expertise in information technology but also touches upon issues of privacy and legal safeguards. Moreover, these investigations often require psychological and criminological analysis to understand the motives behind the crime. This trend is evident in many other fields as well.
The integration of expertise from various disciplines is therefore essential, not only for solving crimes, but also for addressing the ethical implications associated with the use of modern technologies. The debate surrounding privacy protection, the legitimacy of data collection methods, and the impact of emerging technologies on individuals' fundamental rights remains both highly relevant and ongoing.
In this context, an interdisciplinary approach becomes crucial as it fosters collaboration among experts from different fields, promoting a comprehensive perspective and an instructive dialogue for all actors involved. This approach allows for the overcoming of the limitations of each discipline through harmonious and productive collaboration towards the achievement of concrete objectives. For example, combining expertise in forensic medicine, forensic pathology, and criminology enables a more complete understanding of a crime, while the use of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data analysis allows for the examination of large volumes of information and provides more accurate analysis of criminal behavior, including predictive elements.
This Special Issue aims to explore the extent to which interdisciplinarity in forensic sciences is opening up new approaches to complex investigations, while also raising ethical and legal issues that require a careful balance between technological innovation, social responsibility, and respect for human rights. Forensic experts, working in a coordinated and integrated manner beyond the boundaries of their areas of expertise, are in the best position to combine innovation, process efficiency, and ethical–legal respect for procedures.
Dr. Lina De Paola
Prof. Dr. Enrico Marinelli
Dr. Gabriele Napoletano
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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 single-blind 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.
Keywords
- interdisciplinarity
- international cooperation
- legal medicine
- forensic neuropathology
- forensic odontology
- forensic pathology
- forensic criminology
- forensic toxicology
- technological innovation
- artificial intelligence
- medical ethics
- privacy and cybercrime
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
