Overview

This subject provides students with the statistical knowledge and skills to carry out advanced analyses and apply these to forensic problems. Students will carry out and report independent statistical investigations, and demonstrate an awareness of the assumptions and limitations involved with the generalisation of results of such investigations. Real-life examples from the forensic science literature and forensic case-work are used to illustrate relevant statistical concepts and methods in areas such as DNA profiling, biochemical matching (e.g. blood stains), probability of re-offence in a given time period, and time to re-offend allowing for data censoring.

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
29-July-2024
27-October-2024
Last self-enrolment date
11-August-2024
Census date
31-August-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
13-September-2024
Results released date
03-December-2024
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Explain basic concepts in probability as they apply to random events and uncertain evidence, and update probabilities when additional information is obtained
  • Apply probability theory to games of chance, forensic science, and DNA profiling
  • Identify appropriate applications of binary and multinomial regression and apply these models to forensic problems
  • Compare different models for a survival analysis and apply these to forensic science problems
  • Conduct cluster analyses, particularly in typical forensic science settings, and explain the differences between various clustering methods
  • Compare different classification techniques, and apply these to problems in forensic science settings

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online
Lecture
2.00 12 weeks 24
On-campus
Class
2.00 12 weeks 24
Specified Activities
Various
3.00 12 weeks 36
Unspecified Activities
Various
5.50 12 weeks 66
TOTAL150

Hawthorn Online

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online
Lecture
2.00 12 weeks 24
Online
Learning activities
2.00 12 weeks 24
Online
Learning activities
3.00 12 weeks 36
Unspecified Activities
Various
5.50 12 weeks 66
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssignmentIndividual 50% 3,4,5,6 
Online QuizzesIndividual 10% 1,2,3,4,6 
Online TestsIndividual 40% 1,2,3,4,5,6 

Content

  • Probability theory
  • Crime and forensic statistics
  • Correspondence and loglinear analysis
  • Binomial logistic regression, multinomial logistic regression, and cluster analysis
  • Survival analysis, including life tables, Kaplan-Meier curves, and Cox regression

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.