A review of forensic science peer-reviewed primary literature: A guide for students and professionals

Abstract

The paper reviews fifty-three forensic science peer-reviewed journals based on several factors including cost to publish, cost to access, impact factor, indexing, frequency of publication, acceptance rate, affiliation, publisher, content, geography, and years of circulation.  Journals considered to be predatory were not considered.    The findings of this review indicate that costs can be problematic for those seeking access, in addition to a lack of information that may make it uncertain which journals are best to access depending on need. Furthermore, many forensic specialties are underrepresented across forensic science journals. Many of the journals identified for this review originated in North America and Europe, showing a geographical skew in widely available forensic information. Forensic professionals, students, and others associated with the field must consider the interrelationship between these various factors and their relative significance to better understand the lack of access to published research.