RJA #15b: Reflection

During the course of this semester, I have learned about the different sides of my research topic ranging from its existance to it being a double edged sword. Like most agruments, there will always be an opionated side to the CSI effects existance. This class has taught me a variety of new ways to organize a paper and how to make a strong argument. I will still need to work on the power of my words in a paper but I've learned new organization methods and a variety of search engines that could help me in my writing. The different search engines, databases, and how to use keywords more effectively is one of the most important things to me that I have learned. These things that I have learned will help me with my future papers and in my line of work.

RJA #15a: Word Cloud

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/4545828/The_CSI_effect

RJA #14: Field Research Report

Hi Susan, I finally came up with some questions for that interview. Thank you for your help.

-What is the CSI Effect?The CSI Effect is when the members of a jury mistakenly believe that there should be forensic evidence from the crime scene to convict a defendant, and the lack of any such evidence is 'reasonable doubt' that the defendant is not guilty.

-Do you believe it exists? Why? I do believe it exists, and have seen it firsthand. The American jury is comprised of average citizens who watch television and hear of forensic cases on the internet. They are becoming acquainted with fictional and exaggerated events, and then expect that the courtroom will be filled with these same types of evidence.

-What is causing it?There are several forces at work here. When I was in undergraduate school, very few people knew what forensic science was. Then, the OJ Simpson double murder trial became a front page story, and the introduction of tv camerass in the courtroom meant that the OJ trial was broadcast into everyone's living rooms. Many saw the power of forensic evidence at work for the first time, and the seeds of curiousity were planted. Soonafter the trial, reality television began to follow crime scene investigators and detectives around on real crime scenes, thereby replacing the older cop show drama with reality-based television. Following this, several fictional shows began to air, and the CSI series have become incredibly successful. As a result of the popularity of forensics, educators from elementary school up through high school have introduced students to various aspects of chemistry, biology, and physics using forensic cases in an attempt to 'sell' math and science careers. The only downside of this popularity is that the line between reality and fantasy has blurred, and many laypersons are no longer aware whether what they are watching is true science or pure fiction.

-When did you first notice it?I started seeing prosecutors who were reluctant to go to court on cases that did not have DNA or fingerprint evidence. They were not willing to 'risk' a trial loss with witnesses, or other types of circumstantial evidence, no matter how strong the detective thought the case was. Thus, detectives began calling for crime scene investigators on their cases far more frequently, even to minor scenes such as burglaries, in the hopes that we might find something forensic to go to court with.

-How could it be countered?Education is the only way we can combat the CSI Effect. We need to educate our juries on what can be done forensically, and what is not possible with current technology. For instance, it is important to remind the jury that fingerprints cannot be found on every type of surface, and that DNA is not left at every scene. So when we don't find these types of evidence, the jury does not doubt the efforts to find evidence were made.

I don't know if I need credentials but it would be safe to have enough so that this source shows its from someone that was in this field. If there's anything else that you can think that will help that would be awesome. Thank you again for your help.

My credentials- BA in Biology at Clark University, Masters of Forensic Sicence at George Washington University, worked as a CSI in Baltimore City PD, and worked as a forensic specialist II for Montgomery County PD. Now a full time Forensic Science professor at YSU.

Sincerely,

Marylin Gray

What I found out from this field research is that this effect has been around for many years now and it was caused because police officer mess ups peaked peoples interests and lead to the creation of crime dramas that go off of forensic evidence.

RJA #13b: Presentation Plan

• intro
• whats believed
• what causes it
• results of experiment
• what is done to counter it
• opposing
• refutations

RJA #13a: APA-Style Annotated Bibliography, Part 2

Strutin, K. (2010, May 09). Forensic evidence and the csi effect. Retrieved from
http://www.llrx.com/features/forensicevidencecsieffect.htm

This web page I find to be very helpful because it has a collection of scholarly papers that are about the effect. The information of this web page is mainly composed of multiple papers so it has papers that believe and not believe in the existence of the effect.

The “csi effect”. (2010, April 22). The Economist, Retrieved from
http://www.economist.com/node/15949089

This article is from a forensic science section of a magazine. It contains information about how tv shows seem to be effect its viewers and it mentions what jurors seem to expect. It even has information from defense attorneys and prosecutors that says what they noticed in the courtroom.

Mancini, D. E. (2011). The CSI Effect Reconsidered: Is it Moderated by Need for Cognition?. North American Journal Of Psychology, 13(1), 155-174.

This article is about a experiment conducted to see if the effect exists with 217 mock jurors. It gives the results of this experiment and this is relevent because it supports what I believe about my research questions.

Lovgren, S. (2004, September 23). "'csi' effect" is mixed blessing for real crime labs.
National Geographic, Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/09/0923_040923_csi.html

This article focused on making it obvious that crime labs are being effected by this effect and have unrealistic expectations. They talk about expected results from them are to much and that its making labs be extra careful and try to come up with better procedures. This article is right out of a National Geographic magazine so it was edited to an extent.

RJA #12c: Visual Aids

• graph of existance
• pie chart of existance
• line graph of interest in forensic field
• photo of investigators in the field
• comparision pictures of shows and reality

RJA #12b: APA-Style Annotated Bibliography, Part 1

Attorneys worry about a "csi effect" in Conrad Murray's trial. (2011, September 25).
Retrieved from
http://www.woio.com/story/15545329/attorneys-worry-about-a-csi-effect-in-conrad-murrays-trial

This article is about an example I can use for the existence of the effect. The main thing it talks about how the Conrad Murray case may be in trouble because there isn't a clear connection between him and Michael Jackson's death. It also has some good quotes that I can use. The news channel published this article so I don't know a single author for this source.

Dahl, D. (2006, May 13). Nyu professor says . Daily Record and the Kansas City Daily News-Press. Retrieved from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4181/is_20060513/ai_n16369397

This article is about how the CSI effect could actually get more people to convict individuals if it existed. He mainly talks about how there isn't evidence to prove its existence. He also mentions that tv shows can make an image even though it can't be proven. This article is relavent because it refers to one of my other sources. A newspaper probaly isn't the best to use because its manipulated by its writer and dumbed down for the readers.

Shelton, Donald E. "The 'CSI effect': Does it really exist?" National Institute
of Justice Journal 259. 17 Mar. (2008). Web. 9 Nov. 2011. http://www.nij.gov/journals/259/csi-effect.htm.

This journal is one of the best I have found. It has the complete experiment conducted on potential jurors and how they would convict someone based on presented evidence. The author is an actual judge and he conducted the experiment along with two criminology professors so it appears to me its a credible source. The article is relavent because it provides me with some evidence to prove that crime shows do have an effect on the people who watch them and participate as a juror afterwards.

RJA #12a: Conversion from MLA to APA Style

Ramsland, K. (2006). The C.S.I. effect. New York, NY: Berkley Boulevard Books.

Kurtis, B. (Narrator). (1998). Inside story: scene of the crime [Motion picture]. USA: A&E Network.

Thomas, A. P. (2006, January 31). The CSI Effect: Fact or Fiction. The Yale Law Journal, 115(70).

RJA #11: Argument

Does the CSI Effect exist in the courtroom? yes

Reasons-

1. Juries believe what they see on tv and think they are experts. - Ramsland,
   Katherine. The C.S.I. Effect. New York: Berkley Boulevard Books, 2006. N. pag.
   Print.
2. The jury is not convicting because they don't believe the evidence is enough
   for them. -Andrew P. Thomas, The CSI Effect: Fact or Fiction, 115
   Yale L.J. Pocket Part 70 (2006), http://www.thepocketpart.org/2006/02/thomas.html.
3. Tv shows use certain techniques and programs that aren't used but there is some
   kind of variant of it that doesn't always work like in the shows. An example is
   the fingerprint system tv shows use that come up with a hit instantly but in
   reality there are multiple systems that are either local or federal and it takes
   days to get anything from them. -tv shows and forensic science classes

Objections-

1. no proof so it doesn't exist -http://www.blinkx.com/watch-video/sidebar-csi-effect/sJVuBszo747utTrLSJ8O6Q
   (news video)
2. not a csi effect but a tech effect -http://www.llrx.com/features/forensicevidencecsieffect.htm

Refutations-

1. The video said there is no evidence so its not there but I think its wrong because people have recognized it and some data has been collected on it now.
2. A tech effect is quite possible the actual effect but I don't think its just one thing. I think its the combination of false representation and the advancement in technology thats causing the effect.

RJA #10a: Claim

Does the CSI Effect exist in the courtroom?Yes it does exist with the combination of tv shows and the advancement in technology (tech effect). -All my sources tend to have both yes and no but most lean towards yes. I have at least one source that says no overall. A source for yes is Ramsland, Katherine. The C.S.I. Effect. New York: Berkley BoulevardBooks, 2006. N. pag. Print.

RJA #10c: Objections

• no proof so it doesn't exist -http://www.blinkx.com/watch-video/sidebar-csi-effect/sJVuBszo747utTrLSJ8O6Q (news video)
• not a csi effect but a tech effect -http://www.llrx.com/features/forensicevidencecsieffect.htm
• its not just one effect it is the combination of the csi and tech effect- my opinion

RJA #10b: Reasons

1. The jury is not convicting because they don't believe the evidence is enough for them. -
   Andrew P. Thomas, The CSI Effect: Fact or Fiction, 115 Yale L.J. Pocket Part 70 (2006), http://www.thepocketpart.org/2006/02/thomas.html.
2. Juries believe what they see on tv and think they are experts. - Ramsland, Katherine. The C.S.I. Effect. New York: Berkley Boulevard Books, 2006. N. pag. Print.
3. Evidence should be a connect the dots and "leave the jury no choice but to convict". - Ramsland, Katherine. The C.S.I. Effect. New York: Berkley Boulevard Books, 2006. N. pag. Print.
4. An investigators involvement normally ends with collection of evidence but tv shows them doing the collection, tests, and investigation. -CSI tv shows and "Scene of the Crime." Inside Story. Host Bill Kurtis. A&E Network. 29 Dec. 1998. DVD-ROM.
5. Tv shows use certain techniques and programs that aren't used but there is some kind of variant of it that doesn't always work like in the shows. An example is the fingerprint system tv shows use that come up with a hit instantly but in reality there are multiple systems that are either local or federal and it takes days to get anything from them. -tv shows and forensic science classes
   

RJA #9b: Freewriting

Does a "CSI Effect" exist in the courtroom?

A CSI Effect can exist in a courtroom due to the viewing of television programs based on forensic science and criminal justice. Shows like Law and Order, CSI: LV, CSI: NY, and CSI: Miami are some possible sources of tainted criminal justice. The combination of crime scene shows and the "tech effect" (better technology creating an image of perfect evidence) could be the real culprit. Without proof of the existence of this effect the entire thing could be denied of existence. Its more of a psychological effect instead of physical effect. Tests have been conducted on control groups but there is no substantial evidence and proves the existence of the effect. Some people think its just the tech effect that is effecting people but there is not proof of that either. Juries have been asked after trials what influenced their decisions but that does not mean that the people were telling the truth. Juries have asked for DNA, fingerprints, and other types of evidence when it was necessary for the charge that the defendent is facing. The CSI tv series are the biggest and most noticable contributers to the CSI Effect. The tech effect contributor could also be coming from tv shows because of the techniques that are used for forensic evidence processing such as instant hits on fingerprints. Another one is the constant use of ballistic gel bodies and other objects is not real unless the police department is rich because it costs a lot of money. The investigators on the tv shows carry a handgun normally but in real life a crime scene investigator is not a cop so doesn't carry a gun.

RJA #9a: MLA-Style Annotated Bibliography

Andrew P. Thomas, The CSI Effect: Fact or Fiction, 115 Yale L.J. Pocket Part 70 (2006), http://www.thepocketpart.org/2006/02/thomas.html.

This article was written by a chief prosecutor who is taking measures to counter the CSI Effect by bringing it to the attention of the jury by asking them certain questions and giving them certain instructions that will help them disregard the effect all together. This article also has a link to the full research experiment that was conducted to see if the effect really existed. Most of the experiment was controlled and depended on what the people said (no way to know if they're telling the truth). The article has a preferred citation on it provided by the author. He also makes the point that as the popularity of the tv series (CSI) rises, the ability to control the effect will need new techniques.This is relevant to my research because it provides an experiment for what my research is about.

Ramsland, Katherine. The C.S.I. Effect. New York: Berkley Boulevard
Books, 2006. N. pag. Print.

This book is more about discussing actual forensic technology through comparing it to the tv shows techniques. A very specific definition of real and fiction is stated at the very beginning of the book making it very obvious that the tv shows state otherwise. Example cases such as the OJ Simpson case were used to show that investigators do make mistakes. The book covers techniques involved in most if not all fields of forensics and even covers disorders that some people have when they commit heinous crimes. This book is relevant to my research because it describes real techniques and computer programs instead of the stuff that they show on tv.

"Scene of the Crime." Inside Story. Host Bill Kurtis. A&E Network. 29 Dec. 1998. DVD-ROM.

This dvd was originally made to show people the life of a crime scene investigator and how it effects them emotionally. A camera man follows a few of the Baltimore investigators and show viewers some of the things that the investigators go through and a few of the techniques that could be out of date because the video is from 1998. This video also pointed out that the investigators are not cops or detectives and their involvement normally ends with the collection of the evidence. The best part I found from this video is that you get to see things from the investigators point of view (closest to from their eyes).

RJA #8c: Field Research Plan

My field research is going to be an interview with Susan Wright. She was a crime scene investigator for Baltimore City, Maryland, Montgomery County, Maryland, and now teaches forensic science in Ohio. Her specialty field in forensics is blood spatter. She taught my forensic classes at Northern Virginia Community College and has a Biology degree from George Washington University. I'll be conducting the interview through email and will be using one of videos she was in for background information in my argument. I'm not positive of the questions I'm going to ask yet but they will revolve around if she believes in the existence of the effect, how and why she thinks it exists, and I'll probaly ask for specific examples if possible.

RJA #8b: Background Essay Plan

Real CSI's today are not what everyone tends to think they are.

• what is a csi?
• fiction vs. reality investigations
• controversy
• my experiences with investigative techniques

RJA #8a: Summary

http://www.llrx.com/features/forensicevidencecsieffect.htm

This article covered both sides of my argument and even added in a new piece of information that I can use. The "CSI Effect" is just a more specific term for the "tech effect" that makes people expect better evidence because of technological advances. Some say that the effect can not be proven to exist or not exist because they haven't been able to find a connection between the tv shows and convictions. There have been controlled studies but they have not revealed the existence of the effect or not. This article has multiple links to other articles as well that are related to my argument and some of them even have the studies conducted on juries after trials and mentions the ones during jury selection evaluations.

RJA #7b: Webpage Annotation

Diigo Library

1. CSI Effect work in reverse

2. The CSI Effect: Fact or Fiction

RJA #7a: Evaluation of Sources

1. Book: Author- Katherine Ramsland

Title- The C.S.I. Effect

Copyright- 2006

Publisher- Berkley Publishing Group

City- New York

The C.S.I. Effect is a book that tells how evidence is actually processed in reality and points out certain things that are majorly effecting jury decisions (fingerprint for example). The book also uses specific cases to put certain types of evidence into context. The author's educational history is a masters in forensic psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, masters in clinical psychology, and a PhD in philosophy, teaches forensic psychology at DeSales University, and she has written numerous other books related to forensic science. This book was published by Berkley Publishing Group (branch from Penguin) in 2006. I think this is a good source for my argument, even though some of the technology could have changed, because it gives examples of how the effect could exist.

2. Periodical: Author- Dante E. Mancini

Title- The CSI Effect Reconsidered: Is it Moderated by Need for Cognition

Source- North American Journal of Psychology 2011 Volume 13 Issue 1, pages 155-174

This article was found using Academic Search Premier but is only the abstract. What little information it has it talks about both sides of my topic. It talks about the lack of evidence of the "effect" and the viewing of CSI type shows swaying people to want more evidence to convict someone. The source is the North American Journal of Psychology 2011 Volume 13 Issue 1. The author is affiliated with the Saint Vincent College. I like this source because it mentions both sides of my topic.

3. Website: Andrew P. Thomas, The CSI Effect: Fact or Fiction, 115 Yale L.J. Pocket Part 70 (2006), http://www.thepocketpart.org/2006/02/thomas.html.

This web article was one of the few that I found that actually had a study of some sort in it. The study was done on jurys and lawyers of one area unforunately but it does so show that something is influenceing jurys towards their decisions. I think this article is good because of the study that it has a link to, the statistics it provides, and that it has the quotes of the people from the study admitting that they that there wasn't enough evidence (or concrete evidence). This article is from 2006 but the information it provides is more a psychological study instead a physical evidence study. This article comes from the Yale Law Journal so its from a highly respectable school.

RJA #6c: Multimedia

1. Resource Searched- blinkx.com

Keywords- CSI Effect

Strategies- parenthesis

Date of Search- 9/28/2011

Number of Hits- 19

Relevence- 5

RJA #6b: Social Media

1. Resource Searched- Google Blog Search

Keywords- csi effect

Strategies- parenthesis

Date of Search- 09/28/2011

Number of Hits- 25,700

Relevence- 4

2. Resource Searched- Spezify

Keywords- csi effect

Strategies- parenthesis, just text

Date of Search- 09/28/2011

Number of Hits- 30

Relevence- 4

3. Resource Searched- Blog Pulse

Keywords- csi effect

Strategies- parenthesis

Date of Search- 09/28/2011

Number of Hits- 143

Relevence- 4

RJA #6a: Websites

1. Resource Searched- Zakta

Keywords- csi effect

Strategies- parenthesis

Date of Search- 09/28/2011

Number of Hits- 286,000

Relevence- 4

2. Resource Searched- qksearch

Keywords- csi effect

Strategies- parenthesis

Date of Search- 09/28/2011

Number of Hits- 29

Relevence- 4

3. Resource Searched- Findelio

Keywords- csi effect

Strategies- parenthesis

Date of Search- 09/28/2011

Number of Hits- 607

Relevence- 4

4. Resource Searched- IncyWincy

Keywords- csi effect courtroom

Strategies- parenthesis, AND

Date of Search- 09/28/2011

Number of Hits- 3

Relevence- 4

RJA #5c: Periodical Articles

1. Author- Marcia A. Mardis

Title of Article- Its Not Just WHODUNNIT, but How

Date- Sept/Oct 2006

Resource Searched- Academic Search Premier

Keywords- csi effect

Strategies- parenthesis

Date of Search- 09/26/2011

Number of Hits- 23

Relevance- 4

2. Author- Young S. Kim, Gregg Barak, Donald E. Shelton

Title of Article- Examining the "CSI-effect" in the cases of circumstantial evidence and eye witness testimony

Date- Sept. 2009

Resource Searched- Academic Search Premier

Keywords- csi effect

Strategies- parenthesis

Date of Search- 09/26/2011

Number of Hits- 23

Relevance- 4

3. Author- Dante E. Mancini

Title of Article- The CSI Effect Reconsidered: Is It Moderated by Need for Cognition?

Date- 2011

Resource Searched- Academic Search Premier

Keywords- csi effect

Strategies- parenthesis

Date of Search- 09/26/2011

Number of Hits- 23

Relevance- 4

4. Author- Chandler Harriss

Title of Article- The Evidence Doesn't Lie: Genre Literacy and the CSI Effect

Date- Spring 2011

Resource Searched- Academic Search Premier

Keywords- "csi effect"

Strategies- parenthesis

Date of Search- 09/26/2011

Number of Hits- 23

Relevance- 4

RJA #5b: Books

1. Author- Katherine Ramsland

Title- The CSI Effect

Edition-

Volume-

Place of Publication-New York

Name of Publisher-Berkley Boulevard Books

Date of Publication- 2006

2. Author- Sylvia Engdahl

Title- Forensic Technology

Title of Series- Current Controversies

Place of Publication- San Detriot

Name of Publisher- Greenhaven Press

Date of Publication- 2011

3. Author-Jerome Groopman, M.D.

Title- The Best American Science and Nature Writing

Title of Series- The Best American Series

9th book in the series

Place of Publication- Boston

Name of Publisher- Houghton Mifflin Company

Date of Publication- 2008

4. Author- Suzanne Bell

Title- Encyclopedia of Forensic Science

Edition- Revised Edition

Series- Facts on File Science Library

Place of Publication- New York

Name of Publisher- Facts on File

Date of Publication-2008

RJA #5a. Reference Articles

1. Title- Forensic Science Education

Author- Max Houck

Accessed- 9/21/2011

Database- Access Science http://www.accessscience.com

Publisher- McGraw-Hill Companies, 2010

Keywords- csi effect

Number of Hits- 1

Relevence- 3

Strategies- parenthesis

2. Title- The Role of Forensic Science

Author- Thomas J. Bernard

Accessed- 09/21/2011

Database- Encyclopedia Britannica

Keywords- forensic science

Citation- APA: crime. (2011). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/142953/crime

RJA #4c: Field Research Options

1. interview former crime scene investigator
2. interview a lawyer
3. survey/poll of if effect exists
4. interview a juror that watched the shows and one that hasn't
5. go to a courtroom and witness a trial

RJA #4b: Search Strings

• +CSI +Effect jurors
• +"CSI Effect" influence +courtroom
• +"CSI Effect" existence -media
• CSI AND Effect AND jurors
• "Crime Scene Investigation" AND Effect AND NOT media
• "CSI Effect" AND courtroom AND jurors AND media NEAR influences

RJA #4a: Keywords

Keywords- CSI influence, impressions, force consequence, media culture influence, fictional influence, courtroom corruption

Criminal Justice>Crime>Courtroom>Jurors>Media Influences>CSI: Crime Scene Investigation>CSI Effect

RJA #3c: Research Question

• Does a "CSI effect" exist in the courtroom?
• What could cause a "CSI effect"?
• Are just the jurors effected by the "CSI effect"?
• Do jurors base their verdict on what they see on tv?
• Is there proof that jurors are swayed in their verdicts?
• What is the "CSI effect"?
• Could the "CSI effect" be a scapegoat for faulty crime labs?
• Is the "CSI effect" really the reason for harder to convict cases?
• Where did the "CSI effect" idea come from?
• Does todays pop culture play a role in the courtroom?
• Can jurors sway other jurors verdicts?
• Do crime shows influence peoples perception of the courtroom?
• Do jurors have the ability to tell the difference between reality and fiction in the courtroom?
• Why is the "CSI effect" such a big issue?

RJA #3b: Research Topic Focus

• existence of "csi effect"
• effect on courtroom
• tv shows create "csi effect"
• efficency of crime labs
• expectations of evidence
• effectiveness of evidence

RJA #2

The topic I decided on is "does the CSI effect exist?". I decided on this topic because the field of science I would like to go into is forensic science. This particular effect on the courtroom is not proven to exist but some people think it does.

So far, what I know is that jurors are expecting "perfect evidence" and that its getting harder to convict individuals because the crime labs do not have the evidence that they think is enough proof. The source of this effect can be discussed in the paper and why it could be effecting the jurors. I have a few articles so far and a former CSI that I can talk to about the effect.

I do not know all the possible sources of the effect and would like to learn about them. I also want to find out if the effect actually exist or not.

RJA #3a: Research Topic Exploration

Google Scholar-university articles

Technorati-nothing

Bing-effect does not exist

Finding Dulcinea-crime labs need upgraded

About.com-The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2008

RJA #1

1. is a virus alive?
2. does a "csi effect" exist?
3. is it possible to create a "black box"?
4. how many matching points is needed to have a matching fingerprint?
5. how accurate is DNA really?