Although primarily intended for students studying Forensic Science, this course is suitable for any post-graduate student with an undergraduate degree in science that has an interest in understanding the role of data science and statistics in forensic science. The skills developed in this course will be particularly useful for those wishing to pursue a career applying data science approaches to the natural sciences in multiple sectors and research areas. It is not intended that students will emerge from this course with in-depth data science skills, but rather a good understanding of the principles and applications of data science and statistics in forensic science.
A key focus will be on the management and security of data and good ethical practise applied to data. Methods may include machine learning, artificial intelligence, Bayesian inference, data visualisation. Applications may include wastewater analysis, DNA sequencing, drug identification, biometrics, and crime detection and prevention.
Prior knowledge of basic statistics is assumed. Familiarity with statistical programming language R will be beneficial. It is not anticipated that students will be experts in either.