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An autopsy is a post-mortem examination to discover the cause of death. In fiction, autopsies provide immediate and decisive answers, while in reality, the results can be inconclusive and require more investigation.

Interrogation is the process of questioning suspects or witnesses. In fiction, it often leads to dramatic confessions, but in real life, it requires careful strategy, and its success varies.

This is the study of insects to estimate time of death. In reality, it's a complex process subject to various factors, but in detective fiction, it's often presented as straightforward and highly accurate.

Undercover operations involve investigators disguising themselves to infiltrate criminal organizations. While often glamorized in fiction, they're actually dangerous and complex in reality.

Profiling involves inferring patterns of an offender's behavior and personality. Although a common and often dramatic plot device in fiction, actual profiling requires extensive analysis and doesn't guarantee offender identification.

Ballistics involves the study of firearms, projectiles, and their effects to link a weapon to bullets and a crime scene. Fiction often streamlines the process, neglecting the complexities and the time it takes to perform a thorough analysis.

Trace evidence refers to small, often microscopic material. Real-life analysis can be painstaking and time-consuming, while fiction frequently depicts the process as quick and highly conclusive.

In the real world, fingerprint analysis involves comparing prints found at a crime scene with those of known individuals in a database. In detective fiction, this technique is often portrayed as a quick and infallible way to identify suspects.

DNA profiling is a forensic technique used to identify individuals by their unique genetic makeup. In detective stories, DNA evidence is frequently depicted as a conclusive proof of presence or guilt, which oversimplifies the process and the interpretation of results.

Toxicology tests determine the presence of drugs or poisons in the body. In detective fiction, toxicology results are often instantaneous and definitive, unlike the complex and time-consuming reality.

Polygraph tests measure physiological responses to questions, used to assess veracity. Detective fiction may treat these tests as highly reliable, but their accuracy and admissibility are heavily debated in real life.

Forensic handwriting analysis involves comparing handwriting to identify authors. In detective stories, this can be portrayed as conclusive, but in reality, it's often just one piece of a larger puzzle and isn't foolproof.

Cyber forensics involves investigating digital devices to uncover electronic evidence. In fiction, this often means hacking or immediate recovery of information, whereas real investigations follow strict protocols and may take longer.

The examination of shoe and tire tracks for matching patterns and wear. In detective fiction, these are often used to pinpoint a suspect quickly, whereas in real life such evidence is a part of a broader analysis.