Product Progress Assessment

So far, I have stayed on track with my calendar for the most part. Keeping up with the

spreadsheet was a little challenging for a few weeks because it was hard to meet up with Dr.

Dwyer as things picked up for her, but, after finishing, I have been able to take the data and run

with it, which has been very helpful for keeping up with the schedule.

Getting through the rest of the autopsy reports was definitely the easy part of my product.

Having done so many of them for my original work, I was familiar with the format and

efficiently worked my way through them with no issues. Additionally, compiling the statistics

has not been challenging, but can be time consuming. The most challenging part I have

encountered so far is finding applicable articles. There are a lot of studies on police-involved

deaths, which helps some aspects of my research, but there is not much outside of

police-involved homicides and most of those studies only cover single years. This, however, can

be a positive, as it means that our research will offer something that the community currently

lacks, providing details on a wider range of police-involved deaths and representing a significant

timeline that can show certain trends over the years. Because of this, I am certainly pleased about

the way the product is progressing, and hope to continue on this trend.

As I complete the statistics and compile more resources for my research, I need to start

drafting my research paper. This will be the most challenging aspect of my product, as I am not

very familiar with the structure of scientific papers, so Dr. Dwyer’s input will be of great use to

me here. I am excited to learn more about this, as it will be very useful to my future in the field.

It will also be the most time-consuming aspect as I begin to draft and redraft the body of it.
 Through this product, I have learned so much about different terminologies in forensic

pathology, as well as how causes and manners of death come to be determined. Reading through

so many autopsy reports has familiarized me with their format. Additionally, my subject matter

has helped me understand a lot about trends that might affect public perception of my career and

even the way it is reported on by the media.

The biggest thing I have learned about myself through this process, and throughout all of

ISM, is the power I have to do anything I set my mind to. This is such an amazing experience

that most people my age do not have. I have been able to access and categorize over a hundred

autopsies, and my ultimate paper will be the result of an in-depth study on trends, demographics,

and more that has the ability to be shared throughout the scientific community.

Dr. Dwyer has been a huge help throughout the development of my product. She has

helped me access the autopsy reports, helped clarify any questions I have had, showed me the

best resources for my research, and has offered advice whenever I have needed it. Her

mentorship has been a huge help to me, as it has helped me understand the field so much better.