ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews some of the basic principles regarding report writing. It reviews a number of issues that are fundamental to the task of writing forensic reports. The chapter examines why it is essential to understand the referral question and what to do when the referral question is not adequately clarified. Reports that summarize mental health professionals' forensic evaluations have seven distinct functions. First, the forensic report can be construed as one's "professional face". Identifying the referral question is, therefore, the second function of a forensic report. The third function of forensic reports is efficient communication. A fourth function of forensic reports is that they memorialize the evaluation. Fifth, reports are sometimes necessary to comply with legal requirements, which can vary considerably across jurisdictions. Finally, reports summarizing forensic psychological and forensic psychiatric evaluations can serve to structure courtroom testimony. Attorneys often look to the forensic report as the "starting place" for developing their examinations of the expert.
