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or any questions on cataloging which you would like answered, please
send them to the Subject and Bibliographic Access Committee. The
Committee is always looking for more questions for this monthly
column.
What LC subject headings are used for the forensic sciences
and related fields?
The most general LC subject heading for this popular
and rapidly developing field is Forensic sciences. Although
this field is also commonly referred to as Forensics, in the LC subject
headings system the term “Forensics” is used only as part
of the general LC subject heading for public speaking. This can create
considerable confusion for users of online catalogs, especially if the
catalog’s search engine performs automatic truncation.
The scope note for Forensic sciences states
that: “Here are entered works on science as applied in courts of
law or in criminal investigation.” Although there are no topical
subdivisions under this general heading, it can be subdivided geographically
and free-floating subdivisions are often applied. There are, however,
a number of narrower headings that reflect both established and emerging
specialties in the forensic sciences. Most of these narrower headings
follow the pattern of the general heading, using Forensic as an adjective,
and all of them may be subdivided geographically. They include:
Forensic accounting
Forensic acoustics
Forensic anthropology
Forensic audiology
Forensic ballistics
Forensic botany
Forensic cardiology
Forensic dermatology
Forensic economics
Forensic engineering
Forensic entomology
Forensic epidemiology
Forensic genetics
Forensic geology
Forensic gynecology
Forensic hematology
Forensic hypnotism
Forensic linguistics
Forensic neurology
Forensic neuropsychology
Forensic nursing
Forensic obstetrics
Forensic oncology
Forensic ophthalmology
Forensic osteology
Forensic pathology
Forensic pharmacology
Forensic phonetics
Forensic psychiatric nursing
Forensic psychiatry
Forensic psychology
Forensic radiography
Forensic serology
Forensic sociology
Forensic statistics
Forensic taphonomy
Forensic thermography
Forensic toxicology
There are also a few narrower headings that follow different patterns,
probably for historical reasons. Each of these may also be subdivided
geographically:
Dental jurisprudence (used instead of Forensic dentistry)
Environmental forensics (used instead of Forensic environmental sciences)
Chemistry, Forensic (used instead of Forensic chemistry)
Legal photography (used instead of Forensic photography)
Medical jurisprudence (used instead of Forensic medicine)
Veterinary jurisprudence (used instead of Forensic veterinary medicine)
Another set of useful headings refer to practitioners of the forensic
sciences. Each of these may be subdivided geographically:
Coroners
Criminal profilers
Forensic anthropologists
Forensic pathologists
Forensic psychiatrists
Forensic psychologists
Forensic scientists
Medical examiners (Law)
Women forensic anthropologists
Women forensic scientists
Finally, headings are also available for several other topics related
to the application of science in criminal investigation and investigation.
These headings may be subdivided geographically, except as noted:
Arson investigation
Autopsy
Bloodstains (not subdivided geographically)
Bullets B Identification (not subdivided geographically)
Computer animation evidence
Crime laboratories (used instead of Crime labs)
Crime scenes
Crime scene searches (used instead of Crime scene investigation)
DNA fingerprinting
Exhumation
Facial reconstruction (Anthropology)
Fingerprints (not subdivided geographically)
Firearms B Identification (the pattern Firearms B United States B Identification
is also used)
Mass spectrometry B Forensic applications (not subdivided geographically)
Paraffin test (not subdivided geographically)
Paternity testing
Poisoning
Psychological autopsy
Teeth B Identification (not subdivided geographically)
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