Examination of Firearms Review: 2007 to 2010 - Interpol

1. Introduction and Coverage of the Literature
The coverage of the literature in this review period is a beneficiary (or victim) of the
improved computer networking, the web, and the growth of abstracting services utilized
by library technicians worldwide. Hence the record-setting number of citations listed.
The additional citations are not the result of an increase in research in the forensic field
but are the result of the ability to survey many more specialty journals which were
previously unknown to the forensic practitioner. Without the current technology which
allows one to easily view the abstracts in these far afield journals, it would be
impossible in either expense or time to research them. It has been recognized for
some time that the science in forensic science is largely derivative of more basic
research and methods development activities. Forensic science methods are more
accurately described as applications of existing science and technology. This
demonstrates the requirement for the forensic scientist to be familiar with the literature
of other scientific fields in order to advance. This is the reason that many citations are
included as they might provide the spark of an idea for a forensic application. The two
fields which greatly add to the volume of citations are the fields of environmental
science and explosives detection technologies which will undoubtedly contribute to
future advancements in forensic techniques.
With nearly 600 references this author and anyone plowing their way through those
would have a difficult time evaluating the usefulness of the material. Because of this
the hyperlinks to abstracts of the articles are included. One can usually get an idea
whether to pursue the article through a quick review of the abstract. Another feature
which the reader should make use of is the “bookmark” feature in Microsoft Word. This
will greatly assist navigation through the bibliography section starting on page 11 of this
document. With the volume of references, the reader will have to excuse the fact that
the author would never have sufficient time to comment on every article. Very valuable
resources are any review articles which usually are specific to subject areas of interest
and encompass references for numerous time periods. These will be the first articles
discussed.
2. Review Articles
An all encompassing review is provided by Brettell, [1] et al on Forensic Science with a
subject section devoted specifically to explosives. The period of coverage is pre-2007.
A review article specifically dedicated to explosives analysis appeared in the Journal of
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry by Moore and Goodpaster [2] covering the
period up till 2009. In the field of detection Singh Suman [3] addressees approaches to
explosives detection in a June 2007 article. Instrumental specific review articles include
an article covering HPLC analysis of explosives by Gaurav [43] in the journal Critical
Reviews in Analytical Chemistry in 2007. Continuing with HPLC analysis Fedorowski
and LaCourse review post-column photochemical systems with electrochemical
detection [47]. In the medical field and more specifically in battlefield injuries, Ulrich,
Kalbermatten, et al, explore the possibility cancer caused by grenade fragments [152]
via a literature review. The environmental field Viada, et al review explosive residue
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