The paper argues for a need to shift the emphasis from text to person when assessing suspected extremist materials. It examines theoretical rationale behind the scope, objects and objectives of psychological assessment in this category of integrated forensic investigation.

The author examines various aspects of forensic assessment of literary texts in cases dealing with extremism prevention. De!ning characteristics of this type of forensic evidence are described, as well as problems of literary communication analysis and the use of semantic and communicative/pragmatic analysis.

The paper looks at some questions pertaining to the examination of “static” information materials. The presence of nonverbal elements in printed text varies widely depending the nature of the text and the channel of information transfer. The nonverbal components of written speech that are subject to forensic scrutiny include font shape and size, various means of graphic and color emphasis, and spatial composition of text on the carrier. Active use of these components visually highlights certain fragments of the text in order to focus the reader's attention on these fragments.

The author examines the issues of using forensic assessments of extremist materials as evidence in law enforcement practice, the need for uniform methodologies, the implications of legislation for the criteria applied to forensic examinations. In addition, it raises the problem of balancing and compiling forensic and legal terminology when evaluating the results of forensic assessments brought forward as evidence.

The paper addresses the aspects of interaction between forensic witness experts and courts in the appointment and production of environmental forensic examinations during criminal proceedings. Some cases investigated by the RFCFS Laboratory of Environmental Forensics are offered as examples.

A method is presented for GS analysis of alcohol-containing liquids (ACLs) for the detection of methanol, ethanol and isopropyl alcohol, based on the analysis of their esters with 4-nitrobenzoic acid. Method sensitivity is determined. The proposed method is recommended for application in forensic analysis of industrial ACLs.

The paper o"ers an overview of headstamp markings on cartridge cases used in smoothbore hunting ri#es of various calibers.

The problems of building the methodological apparatus of forensic construction examinations in arbitration proceedings are de!ned; the objective and subjective nature of these problems is expounded, and some solutions are briefly outlined.

Novel technical decisions enabling to broad up advances of automatic mineralogical analysis on the base of scanning electron microscope are described. Sample preparation technique for this analysis is considered. The main factors which constrain the usage of this revolution method in the aid of soil and geological forensics are discussed. Examples of application the automatic mineralogical analysis on base of scanning electron microscope for objects of soil and geological nature are given.

In this article the system of complex and elementary provocative genres is displayed. The elementary provocative genres used to engage with each other and other communication and genre phenomena in the context of indirect communication in a sort of interference which impact on their intentionality. The provocative e!ect of the exposed provocative genres happened to be constant, and hence easily predicted, and planned.

The current problems of examination damage clothing, the history of methodological approaches of this type of research proposed by H.M. Tahoe-Godi, and prospects are discussed.

The paper covers major trends in the provision of forensic support for environmental crime investigations in the Republic of Kazakhstan, and recommends the development of methodologies for the forensic examination of environmental compartments, with the participation of forensic specialists from other countries within the Eurasian space.

The paper examines such concepts of forensic theory as «scope» and «object» of forensic inquiry, as applied to forensic land surveys, and o"ers their general de#nitions. The author analyzes di"erent researchers' perspectives on determining the scope of forensic examination, and o"ers her own de#nition of the scope of forensic examination as applied to forensic land survey. To clarify the de#nition even further, several types of land disputes are discussed to provide the rationale for the author's conclusion as to what constitutes the scope of forensic land survey. A de#nition of the object of forensic land survey is also proposed, and illustrated with some examples. The author observes and explains apparent inconsistencies between the current designation of this #eld of forensic inquiry and its objects, and explains the sources of these inconsistencies.

The paper argues for a need to take on board the basic principles of «natural language» communication, as a universal approach that helps to reveal the latent semantics of written text (including the intention of threat). The author di!erentiates between several types of threat as an act of speech (punishment threat, warning threat, and coersion threat), lists their key characteristics, and recommends that forensic linguistic inquiry should investigate the seven proposed aspects of a threat situation.

This article contains description of several cognitive biases that may a"ect on objectivity of forensics conclusions. Some examples regarding forensics are considered, and several recommendations for reducing the impact of cognitive biases on the research process and increasing the validity of conclusions are given.