Summary
Highlights
The lecture introduces Chapter 9 on investigative reports, defining them as documents with specific criteria, such as incident reports, trip reports, science lab reports, and forensic reports.
Incident reports (also called accident reports) describe unusual occurrences and require precise, chronological descriptions of what happened. They must be written carefully as they can be used as legal evidence. Key sections include a summary, background, detailed description (who, what, when, where, why, how), outcome, and conclusion with preventative measures.
Trip reports inform colleagues about a business trip, providing a condensed narrative of essential details and critical information like to-do lists. It's important to prepare for writing the report before the trip, take notes, and include only useful information. Use headings, bulleted lists, chronological order, and an active, first-person voice. Conclude with benefits, failures, or recommendations for further activity.
Science lab reports are crucial for sharing knowledge and cater to two audiences: scientists/professionals (interested in methodology and conclusions) and faculty/educators (assessing understanding). They follow the scientific method, using inductive reasoning to form hypotheses and deductive reasoning to test them. Reports require precision, accuracy, objectivity, and data-driven conclusions, answering questions like purpose, procedure, results, and conclusion. Standard parts include introduction, materials/methods, results, and conclusion, with an emphasis on passive voice for procedures and separating observations from conclusions.
Forensic reports utilize scientific principles to evaluate evidence for legal purposes, adhering strictly to the scientific method. They require identifying the expert's credentials, specimens under investigation (with evidence numbers), detailing collected evidence, describing methods/procedures used to test evidence, and stating reasonable conclusions (interpretations). Precision, objectivity, specific vocabulary, and focusing on process and data are paramount. Terms should be explained, complex processes broken down, and references provided, all while avoiding prejudice or bias and relying solely on evidence.