Uma análise e Cienciometría Conceitual dos vestígios

For a judicial demand to be appropriately analyzed, evidentiary activities must be conducted in the most controlled manner possible. Expert evidence is how technical and specialized knowledge is presented to the court. The central element of forensic science lies in the analysis of traces, which are defined differently in the literature. This article aims to conduct scientometric and conceptual research on traces and related concepts. The volume of works indexed in four databases was analyzed using the following keywords: Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Dimensions, and SciELO. The selection of keywords followed national and international contexts to establish a parallel between these bodies of literature. The collected data were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis. It was observed that the keywords "evidence" and "trace" are the most prominent, appearing in larger numbers in the Google Scholar and Dimensions databases. The total number of works is much smaller for equivalent terms in Portuguese. In both cases, the SciELO database did not yield sufficient results for statistical analysis. In conclusion, it is essential to make an effort to establish a stable definition for these terms to create conceptual unity. This unity can positively impact Brazil's forensic field's development and consolidation.