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The development of a mobile application to assist in the evaluation and investigation of death scenes in forensic medical practice
Dissertation(MSc (Medical Criminalistics))--University of Pretoria, 2015.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1867613568196673536 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Verster, Janette |
| author_browse | Verster, Janette |
| author_facet | Verster, Janette |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Dissertation(MSc (Medical Criminalistics))--University of Pretoria, 2015. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/110075 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:38:12.930Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/110075 The development of a mobile application to assist in the evaluation and investigation of death scenes in forensic medical practice Verster, Janette corneliaeng@gmail.com Saayman, Gert Engelbrecht, Cornelia mobile application mobile device information scene templates data capturing death scenes forensic pathology officer forensic medical practitioner forensic pathology service Pretoria Medico-legal Laboratory Dissertation(MSc (Medical Criminalistics))--University of Pretoria, 2015. Information gathering at death scenes is a vital part of death investigation. Technological advancements prompt death investigation in South African to move into the digital era. The present-day death investigating process at the Pretoria Medico-Legal Laboratory consists of gathering basic information at death scenes through completion of A4 paper based forms. This method of information gathering was evaluated with regards to the quality of the data collected as well as the functionality of the present-day process. This process of internal quality control was achieved through distributing questionnaires in an electronic format to forensic medical practitioners in Gauteng province, in order to obtain their opinion on the efficacy of the process. Furthermore, 100 case files were reviewed at different time intervals to monitor the current process of information gathering and to evaluate the completeness of the information. The results obtained from the questionnaires and the 100 case files, indicated which specific information the forensic medical practitioners in Gauteng province deemed as important and compulsory to empower them to conduct their death investigations with a high level of confidence. Death scene investigation templates were subsequently designed, consisting of specific questionnaires related to different death scene categories. The aforementioned templates as well as the information gathered from forensic medical practitioners in the province were used to develop a mobile application (mobile forensics APP) for on-scene digital data recording. The mobile application was tested at mock scenes to ensure that all the necessary requirements were met to allow accurate data capturing in each death scenario. The mobile application (mobile forensics APP) was also tested as a hand-held tool to gather information digitally at actual death scenes in Pretoria, South Africa. This new method was evaluated against the current conventional method used to gather information from the death scenes using the A4 paper report forms. The mobile application was tested independently by forensic pathology officers and the principle researcher at actual deaths scenes. The mobile application that was developed is a step forward but more research and time is needed to create a product that will encompass all the necessary death scene investigation requirements. Although the mobile application prototype experienced a few setbacks it is still regarded as a valuable, user-friendly tool that can improve information collection at death scenes. It is a tool that can be used to train/guide new forensic pathology officers to gather vital information to aid forensic medical practitioners in planning and performing autopsies. viii | P a g e The end goal of this research project was not only to develop a mobile application and to test the usability thereof but also to provide the reader as well as the Forensic Science community with a new technological tool and ideas on how to improve Forensic Science and move forward into the future. We still have a long journey ahead, but digital technology is the way of the future. Forensic Medicine MSc (Medical Criminalistics) 2026-05-15T17:26:14Z 2026-05-15T17:26:14Z 16/02/11 2015 Dissertation http://hdl.handle.net/2263/110075 en application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | mobile application mobile device information scene templates data capturing death scenes forensic pathology officer forensic medical practitioner forensic pathology service Pretoria Medico-legal Laboratory The development of a mobile application to assist in the evaluation and investigation of death scenes in forensic medical practice |
| title | The development of a mobile application to assist in the evaluation and investigation of death scenes in forensic medical practice |
| title_full | The development of a mobile application to assist in the evaluation and investigation of death scenes in forensic medical practice |
| title_fullStr | The development of a mobile application to assist in the evaluation and investigation of death scenes in forensic medical practice |
| title_full_unstemmed | The development of a mobile application to assist in the evaluation and investigation of death scenes in forensic medical practice |
| title_short | The development of a mobile application to assist in the evaluation and investigation of death scenes in forensic medical practice |
| title_sort | development of a mobile application to assist in the evaluation and investigation of death scenes in forensic medical practice |
| topic | mobile application mobile device information scene templates data capturing death scenes forensic pathology officer forensic medical practitioner forensic pathology service Pretoria Medico-legal Laboratory |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/110075 |