Aims and scope
ARC Journal of Forensic Science publishes research on the application of medical, scientific and technological methods to legal investigation. It covers forensic medicine and pathology, toxicology, genetics, anthropology and odontology, criminalistics and trace evidence, and digital and multimedia forensics, together with the ethical and legal context of forensic practice. The journal serves forensic scientists, medical examiners, investigators and legal professionals, and provides open access to all articles.
Forensic medicine and pathology
- Medicolegal autopsy and death investigation
- Cause and manner of death
- Wound analysis and injury interpretation
- Postmortem interval estimation
- Postmortem imaging and virtual autopsy
- Molecular autopsy and sudden death
- Clinical forensic medicine and sexual assault examination
Forensic toxicology and chemistry
- Postmortem toxicology
- Drugs of abuse and new psychoactive substances
- Clandestine drug laboratory analysis
- Explosives and gunshot residue analysis
- Analytical methods in forensic chemistry
- Environmental forensics
Forensic genetics and biology
- Forensic DNA analysis
- Body fluid identification and serology
- Kinship analysis and disaster victim identification
- Forensic entomology
- Wildlife forensics
Forensic anthropology and odontology
- Skeletal analysis and biological profile
- Stature, sex and age estimation
- Forensic odontology and bite mark analysis
- Forensic archaeology and taphonomy
- Craniofacial identification
Criminalistics and physical evidence
- Fingerprint and impression evidence
- Trace evidence analysis
- Questioned document and handwriting examination
- Firearms and wound ballistics
- Bloodstain pattern analysis
- Crime scene investigation and imaging
- Forensic engineering and accident reconstruction
Digital and multimedia forensics
- Computer and network forensics
- Mobile device forensics
- Social media forensics
- Image and video forensics
- Deepfake and synthetic media detection
- Cybercrime investigation
Forensic science, law and society
- Statistical interpretation of evidence
- Quality assurance and error analysis
- Forensic psychology and criminal profiling
- Forensic nursing
- Ethical, legal and policy issues
- Violence, trafficking and injury epidemiology
Now accepting submissions
Manuscripts are welcome throughout the year through the online submission form.
Submit your manuscriptRead the journal
See what the journal publishes: browse its current issue and archive of open-access articles on arcjournals.org.
Browse published articles →Discoverable in
- Crossref
- OpenAlex
- Semantic Scholar
- Unpaywall
- Dimensions
- Scilit
- Lens.org
- ScienceOpen
- OpenAIRE
- ROAD
Articles reach these services through their Crossref records; ROAD lists the journal.
Open access
Every article is free to read, download and reuse under the CC BY 4.0 licence, so your work can reach any reader without a subscription or paywall.
Article types
- Research articles
- Review articles
- Case reports
- Technical notes
- Short communications
- Letters to the editor
Submissions must fall within the aims and scope above.
How to submit
- Prepare your manuscriptPDF or DOCX, following the author guidelines.
- Submit onlineSend it through the online submission form at arcjournals.org.
- Peer review and decisionAfter an editorial check, the manuscript is sent for peer review. You receive the reviewers' comments with the editorial decision by email.
Questions authors ask
Is there a publication fee?
A fee of $450 USD applies only after your manuscript has been accepted. Nothing is charged at submission or during review.
Can the fee be waived?
Yes. Waivers are available for authors from low-income countries. Write to editor@arcjournals.org with your manuscript details.
How does peer review work?
The editorial office first checks that the manuscript fits the journal’s scope and guidelines. It is then sent to reviewers in the field, and you receive their comments together with the editorial decision by email.
What format should my manuscript be in?
PDF or DOCX, double-spaced, 12 pt font, with references in APA 7th edition format. Full author guidelines are on the journal website.
Will my article have a DOI and be open access?
Yes. Each accepted article is registered with Crossref under a DOI (prefix 10.20431) and published open access under the CC BY 4.0 licence.
Where will my article be discoverable?
Each accepted article is registered with Crossref under a DOI. Open discovery services build their databases from Crossref records, so the article becomes findable in OpenAlex, Semantic Scholar, Unpaywall, Dimensions, Scilit, Lens.org, ScienceOpen and OpenAIRE. The journal itself is listed in ROAD, the ISSN directory of open-access resources.