The text is intended for use in criminal investigation courses taken by criminal justice majors, pre-law students, and students planning to become paralegals. The discussion emphasizes that the process of determining a fact has four parts: 1) the definition of the problem and the issues it raises, 2) collection of the information relevant to resolution of the issues, 3) organization and analysis of the information, and 4) presentation of the information to decisionmakers in a manner that persuades them to make a particular decision. Individual chapters explain the settings in which determinations of fact occur, the similarities and differences between investigation and research, legal and ethical considerations in the gathering of information, potential sources of information, testimony from science, and the use of technology. Additional chapters explain interview and interrogation; police investigations; traditional criminal investigations; the investigation of economic crime; investigations by administrative agencies and legislatures; the organization and analysis of data; and the procedures, strategies, and techniques of effective presentations. Chapter notes, questions, and recommended readings and glossary, appended lists of readings and agencies, and index.