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Topic proposal Marian Daud Officer Hunkeler Human Identification Jan 25th, 2022 Proposal Paper My paper will discuss how to identify a dead body. Oftentimes, officers arrive at a scene of an unidentifiable body with no form of ID. I want to dive into how these bodies are later identified and appropriate family members are notified. One way I plan on discussing how these bodies are identified is through tattoos. For my introductory paragraph, I plan on discussing the basics of tattoos; why people get them, the meanings they may have, and where people may go to get these arts. After my introduction paragraph, I will continue to discuss how the ink from the tattoo can be a means to identify a body and use that as a way to trace back to the artist. One way pathologists are able to do this is by extracting a small amount of the dye and bringing it to the lab to be analyzed. Using techniques such as atomic absorption spectroscopy or thin layer chromatography can lead to pigments being identified and traced back to specific artists. I will continue going deeper into what these techniques mean in other paragraphs. To further discuss how important tattoos can be in identifying bodies, I will dedicate a brief paragraph or two about “The Shark Arm Case” of 1935 in Sydney Australia. The story details how a fisherman caught a shark and brought it to an aquarium in Sydney while still alive. After several days of the shark being in the aquarium, he vomited a human arm. Soon after the incident, the arm began to be investigated at which they found a recognizable tattoo of 2 boxers getting ready to fight. From there on, the police were able to identify the arm. In other paragraphs, I will discuss a study done in Massachusetts that surveyed how police officers feel about using tattoos as a form of identifying a body/person. The research shows that 100% of the officers surveyed find that tattoos are an important supplementary information. This research also discusses how tattoos are now a valid identification tool in the criminal justice field, alongside the use of primary biometrics (fingerprints, DNA, face, etc etc). I will end my paper by discussing my findings and analysis on the use of tattoos in identifying bodies. 1. Writer, Dictionary of Sydney staff, and Dictionary of Sydney staff writer. “Shark Arm Murder 1935.” Shark Arm Murder 1935 | The Dictionary of Sydney, 1 Jan. 1970, https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/shark_arm_murder_1935. 2. “What Is Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS).” SciMed, https://www.scimed.co.uk/education/what-is-atomic-absorption-spectroscopy-aas/. 3. Thin Layer Chromatography, https://www.chem.ucla.edu/~bacher/General/30BL/tips/TLC1.html. 4. S;, Santiago M;Strobel. “Thin Layer Chromatography.” Methods in Enzymology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24182936/. 5. “Study Examines Role of Tattoos in Construction of Personal Identity.” University of Arkansas News, University of Arkansas, 18 Dec. 2007, https://news.uark.edu/articles/11564/study-examines-role-of-tattoos-in-construction-of-personal-i dentity. For the research paper, pick a topic relevant to the course, and begin researching that topic so that you become a mini-expert on that subject. Write a 5-7 page paper explaining the topic and critically evaluating the citations you will be using. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the subject matter. Typically, I expect 5-7 references for a 5-7 page term paper Marian, Your topic of Tattoos as a Method of Human Identification is approved. Regarding the study on how police officers feel about tattoos - I would recommend not using it, as it is opinion. I would focus on factual aspects of tattoos and how they are used to identify people. I would recommend having a second case where a tattoo was used to identify an individual. Looking forward to your paper and presentation! Respectfully, Mr. H.