1%

Investigation Compartments

Since the semi-formal investigation report contains more information and compartments than the informal reports we've covered thus far, let's take a minute to discuss the format and the compartments in the semi-formal investigation report again.

  1. The titled document format should be used for semi-formal reports. At the top of the report, you should put your company's name or letterhead. Next, you should title the report. Make the title appropriate for your audience, just as you write the report to provide the correct information to your audience.

  2. The summary should feature the highlights of the report. It should summarize the purpose of the report, the major findings, and the major conclusions or recommendations. It's often best to write the summary after you have completely written the rest of the report.

  3. The Background compartment is often included in the report under the "Introduction" heading. It should tell the events that led up to the investigation, the purpose of the investigation, and the scope of the investigation.

  4. The Investigation compartment has four sub-compartments. However, remember that you do not have to have headings for each compartment or sub-compartment of a report. For example, you can write your report using the compartments and sub-compartments as a guide to ensure your report is properly organized. After you write the report, you can go back and add headings, so that the information is divided up in a way to help readers. To put it another way, add headings in places where they will help better organize your report for your audience. Use compartments to help you better organize the report as you write. You can use more headings than you have compartments or sub-compartments – or less. It's up to you, the report writer.

  5. If there's an attachment to support the information in your report, make sure you reference the attachment. However, your audience should never have to flip through and find the attachment while reading the report.They should be able to read your report from beginning to end.

  6. You can put some of your own opinions in the Evaluation sub-compartment. Just make sure your opinions are logical and rational. The feasibility, suitability, effectiveness, and cost of the suggestions made should be evaluated in this sub-compartment.

  7. An investigation report is written to tell the facts, not sell the facts. In other words, the purpose of an investigation report is to inform, not persuade. That said, however, you will have to persuade your audience to take your suggestions. Do this by presenting evidence that supports your suggestions, then explaining how your evidence will fix the problem or improve the situation.

  8. When writing the Suggestions and Evaluation sub-compartments, you can either write all suggestions first, then evaluate them – or you can write a suggestion, evaluate it, write another suggestion, evaluate it, and so on and so forth.

  9. In the Outcome compartment, you will have two sub-compartments: Conclusions and Recommendations. Your conclusions should repeat the main findings. Your recommendations should be definite and confident. Write them in the active voice. Always say, "I recommend," or "We recommend." Don't be afraid of your recommendations, in other words. Stand tall in them.

  10. You can sign the bottom of an investigation report, if you want – or if it is required by the company. However, you should always include the date of the report, either at the end of the report, or after the report title.

Section Review

Below are excerpted paragraphs from a draft of an investigation report. Read the paragraph, then choose the compartment or sub-compartment in which the paragraph belongs.

  1. Examination of the safety reports from 2011 to 2015 show that:

    1. On-the-job injuries increased by 43 percent in 2015

    2. Ninety-eight percent of on-the-job injuries in 2015 were caused by slips and falls

    1. ___ Background

    2. ___ Findings

    3. ___ Evaluation

    4. ___ Outcome

  2. I believe on-the-job injuries can be reduced by requiring all employees who enter or work in the warehouse to wear slip-resistant shoes, as well as restricting access to refrigerated areas to essential personnel only…

    1. ___ Background

    2. ___ Findings

    3. ___ Evaluation

    4. ___ Outcome

  3. The investigation followed a meeting conducted by the Department of Safety to answer for the increase in on-the-job injuries. I was authorized to carry out an independent investigation to determine the cause for the increase in injuries, and to suggest improvements to workplace and employee safety procedures.

    1. ___ Background

    2. ___ Findings

    3. ___ Evaluation

    4. ___ Outcome



]]>