ABSTRACT
Report writing and presenting the findings are arts unto themselves. An investigator learns a lot about the subjects of the investigation, as well as what has occurred. Documenting investigation notes can be used to explain what is in the report and how it was arrived at, as well as background information about the investigation. The balance that an investigator has to grapple with is how much information to put in a report. At a minimum, reports should contain a title page, table of contents, authorization/engagement letter/reason for the investigation, investigator signature page, abstract/summary overview, examiner comments, and evidence. Most forensic reports are read by a nontechnical audience, and that needs to be kept in mind by the person preparing the report. The point about the audience for reports being nontechnical may need to be addressed as part of the reporting process. The findings of an examination should be summarized in the examiner’s comment section of the report.
