Example forensic science dissertation topic 10:

A comparison of illicit tablet recognition systems.

The prevalence of illicit drugs in tablet form is high in the UK, through the proliferation of lifestyle drugs such as Ecstasy. Over the last year two new systems for speedy pill identification have been devised. This dissertation evaluates the applicability of both systems for the UK forensic science environment and the reliability of the systems within a broader European context. The first system, Pill-ID, focuses on colour and pattern recognition, whilst the second, by Lopatka and van Houten (2013) is designed to assist in shape classification. Finally, the paper considers whether a combination of both systems is the optimal system, and how such a combination may be managed within the UK’s forensic science environment.

Suggested initial topic reading:

• Lee, Y-B., Park, U., Jain, A.K. and Lee, S.W. (2012). ‘Pill-ID: Matching and retrieval of drug pill images’. Pattern Recognition Letters, vol. 33(7), pp. 904-910.
• Lopatka, M. and van Houten, W. (2013). ‘Automated shape annotation for illicit tablet preparations: A contour angle based classification from digital images’. Science and Justice, vol. 53(1), pp. 60-66.
• Vuolo, M. (2013). ‘National-level drug policy and young people’s illicit drug use: A multilevel analysis of the European Union’. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Available at: Science Direct, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.12.012.