INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS

Incident Report
- it describes an unusual incident or occurrence.

How to Write an Incident Report:

I. Begin with a brief summary of what happened.
II. Add Background as a heading if information about events
leading up to the incident would be helpful to your readers.
III. Under Description, tell exactly what happened in chronological
order.
IV. Be honest and objective.
V. Use the Outcome section to provide the observable incident
result.
VI. Use the Conclusion section to tell what was learned from the
incident and how to prevent it from happening again.
Trip Report
- tell supervisors and co-workers what was gained from a business trip.

How to Write a Trip Report:

I. Report information your audience will find most useful.
II. Preview the report in your introduction.
III. Cover the Reporter’s Questions as you write the report.
IV. Include a heading for each section in the report body.
V. Use bulleted lists for important events or knowledge gained.
VI. Decide whether your report needs Conclusions and/or
Recommendations sections.
VII. Choose chronological order or order of importance.
VIII.Use active voice and first person to make the report sound natural.
Science Lab Report
- provides a general guide to writing reports about scientific research you’ve
performed.
.
Scientific Method
- body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge,
or correcting and integrating previous knowledge.
Inductive Reasoning
- reasoning from a particular observation to a general conclusion.
Deductive Reasoning
- reasoning form a general conclusion to a particular situation.
Science Lab Report
Sections
 Introduction – tells the purpose or the objective of the lab and can
provide background of the situation under investigation, tells under
whose authority the lab was conducted, and provides relevant dates.
Materials and Methods – describe the procedure and include relevant
calculations.
Results and Discussions – present the results and explain why
things happened.
Conclusion – includes a brief summary that tells how the test results,
findings, and analyses meet the objectives of the lab.
Science Lab Report
How to Write a Science Lab Report:
I. Use precision when describing procedures or offering numerical
calculations.
II. Use Passive Voice when describing the methodology or procedures.
III. Maintain objectivity by describing observable results without letting
personal bias or emotions influence your observations.
IV. Separate observable results in the Results section from conclusions
drawn in the Conclusions section.
V. Document any sources that were used and provide a list of reference.
VI. When required by the discipline and length of the lab, consider adding
the following sections:
1.) Theory Section 2.) Instrumental Section 3.) Calculations Sector
4.) Recommendation Section 5.) Appendix
VII. Use the straightforward language of the science report.
Forensic Reports
- investigative reports that analyze evidence for legal purposes.
Forensics - branch of science that uses scientific principles and
methodology to evaluate various kinds of evidence.

How to Write a Forensic Report:

I. Identify the credentials of the expert.
II. Identify the specimens under investigation, usually by
number.
III. Organize the report according to the principles of the basic
forensic report.
A.) Evidence
B.) Method
C.) Observation
Forensic Reports
How to Write a Forensic Report:
IV. Write descriptions, discussion, and observations using the
basic principles of scientific and technical communication.
V. Use strategies for communicating unfamiliar information to
a lay audience.
VI. Provide headings and subheadings as necessary.
VII.Provide references as they are used.