It emphasizes the time constraints under which investigative work must be done to obtain evidence and track suspects and witnesses as soon after the commission of the crime as possible. Investigative officers should have a sharp sense perception, precise recall, logical thinking ability, and a broad range of general knowledge; education and professional training should cover such diverse fields as psychology, logic, medicine, physics, chemistry, biology, and cybernetics. Access to technically up-to-date forensic laboratories and trained analysts is also vital. Contemporary criminal investigation approaches also require detailed attention to the victim's background, circumstances, and personality. Finally, a successful investigation must culminate in an interpretation of the criminal event which is substantiated by the evidence that has been gathered. Care must be taken to avoid false conclusions from circumstantial evidence, an error frequently caused by incomplete or poorly conceived investigative work. A total of nine footnotes are provided.