WRITING AN INVESTIGATION REPORT

Objective: To do someone to do something. [So, it is important that, before starting to write, we

already know what it is that we want done. For example, dismissal of the complaint, referral to
another body or agency, or upgrading to preliminary investigation and/or administrative
adjudication]

[Because, we want another person to take action on our report, that is, to embrace or accept our
recommendations, our report should therefore be persuasive. Consequently, the first pointer on
effective report writing is]

1. Write to persuade

Thus, the ultimate mission is to have the reader persuaded. [To persuade means
to provide a sound reason for someone to do something. The challenge here is,
how can we make the reader appreciate our sound reason?]
The answer is, in order to be persuaded, the reader must understand. [Although
we have brilliant readers in the office, we cannot presume all the time that
comprehension would follow as a matter of course, perhaps due to interplay of
several factors. So we have to help our reader to easily digest our output]
That means: We have to write clearly by keeping our language simple and
straightforward.
Sentence construction therefore becomes a legitimate issue. [A good sentence
construction would definitely help our reader to easily understand our report, and
in the process would provide them windows through which they can see the good
reasons therein. In short, we have to avoid bad sentence construction]
In spotting a bad construction, we have to bear in mind that in every English
sentence, there are always 2 kinds of words the working words and the glue
words.
The working words carry the meaning of the sentence, while the glue words hold
the working words together to form a proper English sentence.
Example 1: A trial by jury was requested by the defendant.
Example 2: The ruling by the trial judge was prejudicial error for the reason that it
cut off cross-examination with respect to issues which were vital.
The rule is: When you find too many glue words, it is a sign that the sentence is
badly constructed. A good sentence is like fine cabinetwork, the pieces are cut and
shaped to fit together with scarcely any glue.
Applying the rule, we can improve our construction by limiting the number of
glue words in the sentence.
Lets have a quick exercise.
Going back to Example 1: A trial by jury was requested by the defendant. Here,
there are 5 glue words and four working words. [So, there are more glue words
compared to the number of working words. To improve our construction, we have
to find a way to reduce the number of glue words in the sentence]
Improved version: The defendant requested a jury trial. [Note that in the improved
version, the number of glue words is reduced from 5 to just 2]
Another exercise.
Going back to Example 2: The ruling by the trial judge was prejudicial error for
the reason that it cut off cross-examination with respect to issues which were
vital. Here, there are 13 glue words and 11 working words. Again, there are more
glue words than working words in the sentence. Following the same formula, we
can improve our construction by reducing the number of glue words in the
sentence]
 Improved version: The trial judges ruling was prejudicial error because it cut off
cross-examination on vital issues. [Note that in the improved version, the number
of glue words is reduced from 13 to just 4]
Spotting a bad sentence construction is easy by simply comparing the numerical
presence of working words and glue words in the sentence. However, proper
reduction of glue words in the sentence is hard.
It is, therefore, advisable to indulge in constant practice, be it in text messages or
FB messages, until you develop a genuine hatred towards glue words.
Avoid jargon and pomposity.
Not everyone reading your report will be an expert in your field. It does not mean
that professional jargon is wrong, just that its specialized. Do not write for
yourself, write for your reader for the non-specialist.
Keep it active. Do not say, The absence of demand to liquidate is shown by the
records. Instead, say, The records show the absence of demand to liquidate.
The first way is called the passive voice and usually is a way of keeping yourself
at arms length from what you are saying. The end result lacks conviction and is
unpersuasive which, since you are writing to persuade, you do not want to
happen.
Observe short takes. If possible, one sentence must contain one statement. And
one paragraph, one idea.
Clarity is the key to easy understanding. In effect, clarity opens the mind of the
reader, preparing it to receive that which we want him to digest.
So, bring it on. The what?

2. Bring in the sound reasons

Sound reasons refer to the justifications, both factual and legal, of our
recommendation in the report. By analogy, these are the trail signs that would lead
one to a desired destination.
Before we can gather sound reasons however, we should decide at the outset on
what we want, either to recommend dismissal of the case, referral to another body
or agency, or upgrading thereof.
Just like before embarking on a journey, one should already know his destination.
Needless to say, actual determination of what we want presupposes a prior
impartial conduct of needed examination and analysis of evidentiary facts at hand,
as well as prior research of pertinent laws and applicable jurisprudence (Supreme
Court decisions) vis--vis the matter.
So, do not start to write, if you have not yet decided on how to end it.
This is so, because you may end up plucking out good reasons supportive of a
position opposed to what you want.
In preparing our report, we have to make a fair discrimination in the selection of
material facts and in the citation of pertinent laws and applicable jurisprudence.
By fair discrimination, it means only the ultimate facts and the relevant laws
should be incorporated in the report.
It does not mean concealment or distortion of facts and/or laws.
Ultimate facts are those facts which the expected evidence will support. It should
be material to the stance that we have taken at the onset.
An ultimate fact is material if, aside from tending to prove or disprove the subject
of inquiry, it has contributory influence in charting our destination) dismissal of
the case, referral to other bodies or agencies, or upgrading thereof.
Factual information that do not validate, confirm, strengthen or lend substance to
our predetermined position (i.e., dismissal, referral, or upgrading) should be
disregarded. They will only clog our report and mystify the reader.
 After making a fair discrimination in the selection of ultimate facts, it should now
be easy on our part to draw out conclusions and make self-serving statements
therefrom that would tend to usher our reader to where we want him to be. This is
to prepare him for the ensuing discussion in the Discussion portion of our report.

TO PERSUADE

To write an investigation report is to persuade

The first thing to remember is that when youre writing an investigation report, youre trying to
persuade someone to do something. Just like an advertisement or a direct-mail shot, you want the
reader to get to the end of your report and take action.
In this case, the action is: to put your recommendations into practice.
Before your reader can do that, therefore, they have to be persuaded.
And to be persuaded, they have to understand.
That means - KEEP YOUR LANGUAGE SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD.
Weve all seen that sort of writing:
For the purposes of a non-pre-scheduled process of elective rehydration by means of the
ingestion of a pre-prepared alkaloid infusion delivered by an on-demand user-operated dose-
consistent process, the victim was of necessity engaged in a stepwise incrementation of his
personal potential energy quotient by means of a progressive elevation of his bodily mass using a
pre-existing manual-process step-and-riser system originally installed at facility
commissioning in accordance with standards then operative in workplace standards & facilities
standards currently pertaining. During this process, said victim experienced an unpredicted
decrement in personal adhesion due to a local area of out-of-specification frictional coefficient
due to an adventitious pooling of non-pre-admixed solvent designed for subsequent admixture
with an anionic/amphoteric surfactant product by a routine preventive anti-contamination
operative, leading to said adhesion falling below the stress/shear tolerance necessary for the
continuation of the said process. This was followed by a rapid non-linear reduction in potential
energy and the resultant transductive process caused the application of kinetic but non-fracturing
shear stresses to the victims dextro-patellar region and subsequent contusion and minor
haematomata
By which time youve long ago lost them. Easier, and just as accurate, to say:
The victim of the incident was going upstairs to get a coffee from the machine when he slipped
on a puddle of water left by a cleaner and fell downstairs. He banged his knee in the fall, and
bruised it.
..which is, of course, precisely what our phantom report-writer would say if you asked them, face
to face, what had happened. People often write in an over complex, jargon ridden way because
they think it sounds impressive. It doesnt; it just confuses and irritates.
So, in general, the rule is simple: write it as you would say it. Writing isnt magic. It isnt special.
Its no more than a way of allowing people to hear what you are saying without being there while
you say it.
We can break this down into a few simple components:
1: Keep it simple. Thats self-explanatory.
2: Avoid jargon & pomposity. Dont forget: not everyone reading your report will be an expert in
your field. They may not know the jargon. It doesnt mean that professional jargon is wrong; just
that its specialised. In a report, write for the non-specialist. As for pomposity have a look at
what youve written. Does it come across as really serious and important but you cant tell what
it means? Okay: its too pompous. Simplify. Talk straight. Plain words.

3: Keep It Active. Dont say, The man was bitten by the dog. Say, The dog bit the man. The
first way is called the passive voice and usually is a way of keeping yourself at arms length
from what youre saying. The end result lacks conviction and is unpersuasive. Which - since
youre writing to persuade -you dont want.

4: Short Takes. This is an old newspaper anecdote. Reporters used to write their stories a
sentence at a time. Then theyd hand it to the copy-boy. One sentence contained one statement.
One paragraph contained one idea.

For the next idea, theyd start another paragraph.

It worked for them.

It still works for them.

It will work for you.

For example:

Bart Simpson, aka Nancy, Booked for Fringe

Bart Simpson is to appear at the worlds biggest arts festival this year, it emerged yesterday.
Nancy Cartwright the voice behind the cartoon character, is to launch her debut one-woman
show in Edinburgh this summer. The three-week run will be based on Cartwrights best-selling
memoir about her role as a spiky-haired tearaway, My Life As A Ten Year Old Boy. Her
performance at the Assembly Rooms in August is expected to be one of the Festivals hottest
ticket sellers etc.
(Aberdeen Press and Journal - Feb. 4th 2004)

5: Get A Second Opinion. If you can get someone outside your investigation, your department or,
best of all, your industry, so much the better. If you can get a reasonably intelligent 12-year-old
to read it, better still. The average senior executive wants something straightforward and
unambiguous. That doesnt mean they are stupid. Far from it; it just means that reading dense
texts isnt one of their skills. And why should it be? Nor do they have the time. We understand,
of course, that in many cases there are other considerations. Legal implications. Confidentiality.
Trade secrecy. Fair enough; but, all the same, you will be able to find someone to cast an eye
over your report, for sure. So please do so.

STRUCTURING THE REPORT

The other main thing which will help you write clear, pain-free, persuasive reports is following a
clear and logical structure.

By this stage, youll have all the facts (or at least all the facts youre going to get). Youll
understand the timeline and the sequence of events. Youll have worked out your root cause
analysis. And youll know what your recommendations are going to be.

So where do you start? You may have a company reporting form where you just fill in the blanks.
In that case, fill them in. Job done (or you can use the Reporting Template on the Kelvin TOP-
SET web site at www.kelvintopset.com)

On the other hand, your investigation may be too complex to fit on the standard company form.
What do you do if thats the case?

Heres a simple structure which will help you get the information across in a clear, logical and
persuasive way. Its not something weve made up. Its standard. And we suggest that, if you
follow it, you wont go far wrong.