—sight, smell, tast

, 

g

VO Be aware of “feelings” that may destroy objective

descriptions

— strong feelings can cause the writer to

seek evidence to support bis/her feelings and reject

evidence that will not support them.

o Make distinctions between fact and hearsay, fact and

opinion, and fact and conclusions.

o Be clear about the meaning of words; avoid jargon.

o Clarify all abbreviations (e.g., SOB-short of breath).

o Proofread your report for accuracy; rewrite as

necessary.

FACT vs. HEARSAY V

• A fact is information learned through use of investigator’s own senses or

• corroborated by information the investigation obtains.

• Statements from other persons, even witnesses, are hearsay. V

• Hearsay is admissible in administrative hearings and should not be

prohibited. V

FACT vs. OPINION

• Fact las the quality of being independent and can be confirmed or

substantiated.

• Opinion is an idea, an impression or

a notion resulting from

a personal

sentiment.

• Opinions are not to be expressed in the main body of

a report.

FACT T5 CONCLUSION

• A fact proves itself while

a conclusion requires collaborative evidence.

• A fact exists independently of the observer, while

a conclusion exists only

in the mind of the observer.

• A fact is observable, while

a conclusion is reasoned.

• A conclusion involves drawing an inference that appears to be the

necessary and logical consequence of preceding presuppositions,

information or evidence.
g

may be relevant to the reviewer.

o In most cases, the only information the reader will have will be the information in the report.

o Partially stated facts can be misleading and misinterpreted.

o Explain why certain information is lacking or incomplete.

o Identify in detail the possible source of additional information and undeveloped leads.

+ Concise

o Avoid unrelated; extraneous, incidental and nonessential information and unnecessary detail.

o Use good sentence and paragraph structure.

o Avoid numerous adjectives and repetitions.

o Avoid wit, sarcasm and flowery expressions.

o Use singleness of thought and purpose.

A good report will give the reader

a clear notion, idea or image of the investigation.

o Use headings, paragraphing, sentence structure, indentations, underlining, and capitalization to emphasize and give weight and/or visibility to information the investigator deems more important.

o Keep the report brief by stating the required information in as few words as possible.

+ Impartial/Objective

o The investigator is

a fact finder. Report all the material and evidentiary facts without addition or subtraction.

o Do not conceal or withhold any information.

o Do not assume

o Do not conclude.

o Maintain an unbiased and open mind about the case.

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information.

Clarity and Report Form

o Arrange the contents of the report to enable the reader to

identify the various sections of the report.

o Write in chronological order.

o Observe the rules of grammar and composition; spelling,

punctuation, capitalization.

o Avoid ambiguous sentences and vague statements.

o Additional parts of the complete report could include; title

page, information on undeveloped leads, investigator’s

conclusions, witness list and exhibit/evidence list.

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