Investigative Report Writing

1. Investigative Report Writing N.C.I.T. Training Program- presented by Mike Ferjak Iowa Department of Justice

2. What this training will and won’t do for you: THE TRAINING WILL NOT: • Make you a better speller • Make you a better grammarian THE TRAINING WILL : • Help you write more effectively • Help you organize your thoughts logically • Help you do a more complete investigation

3. We all need a refresher • Fact 1: Nothing stays the same forever. • Fact 2: We cannot change Fact 1. • Fact 3: We don’t always do everything we’ve been taught to do. • Fact 4: We can always do a better job.

4. Section 1:WHAT IS REPORTING WRITING?Report Writing versus Factual Reporting • The purpose of this training is not to teach you how to write a report. Everyone writes reports differently because of preferences or requirements. • This training is to intended to refresh and improve your factual reporting skills so they can be applied to any report you may write.

5. A Report: • describes • documents • informs • presents • MOST IMPORTANTLY A REPORT COLLECTS AND DOCUMENTS INFORMATION IN A FACTUAL AND OBJECTIVE MANNER

6. What can cause a poor report? Which of the following can we control? • Lack of information • Insufficient information • Lack of preparation or training • Too many cases • Deadlines • Poor report writing skills

7. The First Step Collecting and Documenting Information: • Perfect, error-free recall is very rare. • We collect information using our senses; sight, hearing, smell, taste and feel. • How well we objectively and accurately describe the information is the heart of factual reporting.

8. EXERCISE # 1: The Interview Who Are You ? and Where were you at 3:00PM yesterday?

9. INTERVIEWER: Talk to the Subject and write a report answering the two questions. SUBJECT: You can respond to the interviewer’s questions in the manner you see fit. (You do have rights you know…) If you are the:

10. Exercise #1: The Point • No interview is as simple as we think it will be. • Information offered may or may not be accurate or truthful (SHOCKED?). • Verification is an essential part of making a report factual.

11. Section 2: Skills for the Investigator or Inspector This period of instruction will address: • Human Relations • Listening • Interviewing • Note Taking • Factual Report Writing

12. Human Relations • Human Relations skills will directly impact on a person’s ability to gather information. • Body language, speech, appearance, tone of voice and demeanor influence the individual you are interviewing or working with. • Remember that only 40% of communication is accomplished by speaking. Be aware of what you are communicating non-verbally.

13. Listening • Active listening is crucial to effective information gathering. • Do not anticipate the answer to your question- it may limit the way you listen. • While it is sometimes necessary, try not interrupt the person you are listening to. • If they take a tangent- explore it. You may gain valuable information just by letting the person talk.

14. Interviewing • The goal of an interview is to obtain information. • Ask open ended questions and don’t be afraid to use silence as a tool. • Think about the physical set up in terms of personal space. • Usually we try to put the subject at ease. The easier we make it for the person to speak the more information we will obtain. • Prepare for the interview- know the case.

15. Note Taking • Note taking is a recommended practice for persons who conduct interviews. • Check your agency’s policy with regard to the maintaining of your notes. • Check with your agency legal counsel to determine whether your notes are discoverable. • If you keep notes- keep them consistently.

16. Factual Report Writing Skills • Objectivity- unless your agency asks for it, leave your personal opinions out of a report. • Accuracy- never consider anything as a fact until you have verified it. • Clarity- write as you would speak, avoid the use of jargon, slang and acronyms when possible. • Brevity- get to the point with as few words as possible.

17. “I can write better than anybody who can write faster, and I can write faster than anybody who can write better.” A.J. Liebling (1904-1963)TAKE A BREAK!

18. Section 3: The Investigative Report Reports are “judged” on three basic points: • Grammar • Content • Appearance These characteristics may decide how much credibility your report is given.

19. Section 3: The Investigative Report • Using proper grammar should be a goal for all writers. • The way we write will determine how we are seen professionally. • Section 6 of this training will deal more specifically with the grammar consideration in report writing.

20. Section 3: The Investigative Report Factual and objective content • A professional report must look good and contain proper grammar. IT ALSO MUST BE • OBJECTIVE & FACTUAL • Section 4 will address the characteristics of a factual/objective report specifically.

21. Section 3: The Investigative Report • Professional Appearance • The way we compose a report and format it has a direct impact on how willing people will be to read it. • Format and appearance also go directly to the credence given to your report.

22. Section 3: Reports and Formats Reports and Formats • Even if a report is objective and is grammatically correct it can still lack professionalism. • Reports must look professional. • Generally speaking there are 2 ways to achieve this professionalism- (1) using department forms and (2) using a report format.

23. Section 3: Reports and Formats Reporting Methods include: • handwriting, printing, typing and dictating. • None of these methods makes a report good or poor. • None of these methods involves format or organization and so all can be used effectively in the appropriate format.

24. Section 3: Reports and Formats Report Forms: • Forms are useful because they prompt the writer to collect information consistently. • Forms allow the agency to readily extract statistics (budgets live and die by stats) • Be careful not to allow the form to become a “crutch” that limits your investigative effort. • The information required for the report form may not be enough to satisfy the court or administrative board.

25. Section 3: Reports and Formats Report Formats: • Formats are useful because they allow the writer to be complete, in narrative form. • The formats can be applied to a variety of needs from memorandum to court document. • Formats form the skeleton of your investigation.

26. Section 3:Objectivity in observations and report writing • Writing professionally means writing objectively. • Reports must be fair & impartial because: • lack of objectivity (even unintended personal opinions) can lead to outright misleading statements in your report. • Investigators & Inspectors as well as the subject of their investigations must live with their reports good or bad. • Your job demands a search for and record of the truth fact by fact.

27. Section 3: Objectivity in observations and report writing • CAUTION- CAUTION- CAUTION • There may be proper places where you can record your personal opinions or educated guesses. FOLLOW YOUR AGENCY’S POLICY (if you don’t know-ask!) • If you include opinions make sure they are based on factual, provable information.

28. Section 4: Characteristics of a Factual/Objective Report • There are 5 characteristics of a factual and objective report: • Accuracy, Logic, Clarity, Conciseness and Completeness (Can you hear the foot stomping?)

29. Section 4: Characteristics of a Factual/Objective Report ACCURACY: • A factual report must be accurate. • Its basic purpose is to describe people, events or objects. • An inaccurate report is worthless and may even be dangerous. • CHECK YOUR FACTS CAREFULLY!

30. Section 4: Characteristics of a Factual/Objective Report LOGIC: • Described events must be logically organized and correctly represent the order in which they occurred. • Readers should be able to easily follow the pattern of events. • The use of a time/event line while writing the report can be very helpful.

31. Section 4: Characteristics of a Factual/Objective Report CLARITY: • Readers should be able to understand each word, sentence and paragraph quickly. • Avoid the use of jargon, slang, acronyms or unclear words- think about who will read your report. • APD-IDOJ

32. Section 4: Characteristics of a Factual/Objective Report CONSCISENESS: • Unnecessary words can blur the reader’s understanding of what you are reporting. • Say what you have to say in as few words as possible without sacrificing clarity. • A concise report stands a better chance of being read completely.

33. Section 4: Characteristics of a Factual/Objective Report COMPLETENESS: • Put all the facts in the report- don’t make the error of deciding what’s enough or what’s important. • Facts should be organized, not edited. • Failing to include all known facts in a report is at the least a poor practice, it could be illegal.

34. Section 5: Note Taking What is the purpose of note taking? • To make a permanent record of events. • To organize material for a clear understanding of the entire event. • To aid you in follow up interviews. • To aid your memory for report writing .

35. Section 5: Note Taking Rules for Notes: • Notes that are written as events happen or as a statement is made are given greater weight than those prepared after the fact. • Make taking notes a usual course of action in your investigation and be consistent. • Your personal observations and direct knowledge should always be in your notes. • Keep your notebook intact and complete in the event it is entered into a proceeding. • Do not “doodle” or make unprofessional entries in your notes for the same reason.

36. Legal implications for Notes • Timeliness: Notes prepared in a contemporaneous manner (as an event is observed or reported) are given more weight than those prepared after the fact. • Usual Course of the Investigation: If you are going to take notes be consistent- if not, you are subject to suspicion as to why now and not then- either way there is no good answer.

37. Legal implications for Notes • Personal Observation/Knowledge: Notes are your personal record and as such can be consider as original evidence (the strongest type of evidence) if taken contemporaneously. They can represent direct personal knowledge of an event. • Original Entries: Keep your notes intact, do not remove pages and do not erase entries, to do otherwise invites questions that can address your credibility.

38. The Bottom Line on Notes • Be consistent • Keep notes intact • Prepare notes contemporaneously • Keep unprofessional entries out of the notes • Check your agency policy concerning the keeping of notes and follow it.

39. About Brevity: “He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I ever met.”Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) Take a Break!

40. GOOD NEWS! THERE AIN’T GONNA BE NO GRAMMAR OR INFERENCE TEST NEITHER!

41. Active v Passive Voice First v Third Person Specific v. General Words Simple Writing Word Choice Sentence Length Spelling Logical Sequence Paragraphs Organization Section 6: Grammar- The mechanics of writing

42. Section 6, Part 1: Grammar & Structure “The Voices”: • Active Voice is preferred over Passive Voice because: • it is clearer, livelier and more direct • EXAMPLE: • The intruder was questioned by the Officer at Gate 5B. (10 words) • The Officer at Gate 5B questioned the intruder. (8 words)

43. Section 6, Part 2: Grammar & Structure “Persons” • First Person is preferred over Third Person because: • it is widely accepted*, and is direct and brief. • I, Me, We not The writer, The undersigned, This reporter. • EXAMPLE: • I saw the man strike the child. (7 words) • This writer saw the man strike the child. (8 words) • * if your employer permits it, refer to yourself as “I” whenever possible

44. Specific (concrete) Versus General (abstract) Words • Specific or concrete words generally are understood to mean one thing only. Examples are: wife, husband, rifle • General or abstract words are routinely assigned a variety of meanings. Examples are: cool, rough, big • Avoid using general (abstract) words to describe persons or events. It will reduce the chance of being misunderstood. • Look at Work Sheet #5 for examples of unclear writing.

45. Simple Writing • Do not write to impress, write to inform. • K.I.S. method (no there is not a second “s”) • Write as you speak, use short clear sentences and keep your ideas organized. • Look at Work Sheet #4- simplify the sentences..

46. Word Choice • A personal experience… • Be certain that you have used the right / write word for the meaning you want to convey.

47. “Motivationally deficient and ethically disoriented” Translation: “Lazy Cheaters” Don’t make your readers translate your words! Say what you mean.

48. 3 Reasons for Correct Word Choice • 1. You cannot write a factual report without words, incorrect word choices cause mistakes in meaning and may defeat the purpose of the report. • The chance for success in your case depends on selecting the best word to exactly describe something- even a smell, color or sound. • Careless word choice confuses the reader and makes you seem unprofessional.

49. Sentence Length • Nurse Robinson reported that the resident fell from the right side of the bed striking her head on the northwest corner of the bed frame which lacerated her scalp, causing profuse bleeding and pain to the resident, she screamed initially but did not continue due to a loss of consciousness, medical attention was requested immediately and the resident was taken to the emergency room where she received a total of twenty seven sutures to close the wound which was then dressed and she was returned to her room with pain medications to be administered as prescribed by the attending physician .

50. A few things about sentence length • The human eye can span sentences of up to 25 words without much difficulty. • Use as few words as possible to state the thought or idea in a sentence. Use additional sentences to support that thought or idea. • When used too frequently conjunctions such as “and”, “but” or “or” causes sentences to become lengthy and confusing.