A trace is a trace or imprint left by a person or object at the scene of a crime or incident. Such evidence may include fingerprints, shoe prints, tire tracks, clothing fibers, drops of blood and other microparticles.
Analysis and identification of trace signs is an important part of crime investigation. Trace cues can establish the presence of a suspect at a crime scene, link a suspect to a victim or target of a crime, and provide information about the chronology of events of a crime.
The collection and documentation of trace evidence must be done very carefully to preserve the integrity of the evidence. To analyze traces, methods such as fingerprinting, traceology, genetic analysis and others are used. Identified traces can be used in court as physical evidence.