This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A University of Staffordshire Ph.D. student has received national recognition for research that could transform how bloodstain evidence at crime scenes is analyzed. Emma Hook has been awarded the Science & Justice Review Award by the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences for the best review paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Science & Justice during 2024–2025.
The award, chosen by the journal's editor in chief and the society's council, recognizes Emma's paper, "Bloodstain Classification Methods: A Critical Review and a Look to the Future," coauthored with University of Staffordshire academics Dr. Sarah Fieldhouse and David Flatman-Fairs, alongside Professor Graham Williams from the University of Hull. The study is part of Emma's ongoing Ph.D. research, which could help establish the first internationally standardized approach to bloodstain pattern analysis.
Bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) plays a crucial role in forensic investigations, helping scientists reconstruct violent incidents by examining the size, shape and distribution of bloodstains at crime scenes. Yet despite more than 60 years of research and operational use, there is currently no nationally or internationally agreed method for classifying bloodstain patterns. Having already gained undergraduate and master's degrees in forensic science, Emma's interest in BPA began after completing a short professional training course.
"When I completed my master's degree, I was taught bloodstain pattern analysis one way. Then I attended a training course and was taught a different way," Emma explained. "I came away asking myself, 'Why isn't it all the same?'" "Other forensic disciplines, such as DNA analysis and fingerprint examination, have standardized methods.
So why doesn't bloodstain pattern analysis have one too? "You never get exactly the same bloodstain pattern twice, but that doesn't mean we can't have a standardized way to describe, classify and communicate those patterns." Emma's award-winning paper identifies that there are at least 10 BPA classification methods with significant differences in how bloodstains are categorized—highlighting the need for a more objective, evidence-based approach. A key finding is that many current methods rely on mechanistic terminology—terms that imply how a bloodstain was created, such as "impact spatter" or "wipe"—rather than simply describing what can be observed.
Emma's research argues this can encourage subjective interpretation and increase the risk of contextual bias. Instead, the paper calls for a validated, standardized classification methodology based on directly observable characteristics, enabling analysts to make more transparent, repeatable and scientifically robust decisions. Emma said, "If we're all using different methods with different terminology, it becomes much harder for forensic scientists to have clear, professional conversations.
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