Report Writing, Testimony, and Ethics
Report writing
Reports must be accurate, objective, clear, and complete. Candidates should understand structure: purpose, authority, methodology, findings, evidence references, and conclusions. Distinguish fact from inference and opinion, and use plain language. Reports may be read by courts, regulators, and managers, so avoid jargon and unsupported conclusions.
Testimony
Testimony requires preparation, familiarity with notes, and honesty about limits. Understand the difference between lay and expert testimony, the role of qualification, and the importance of answering only the question asked. Credibility depends on consistency between report, notes, and testimony.
Ethics
Ethics covers integrity, objectivity, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, and avoidance of bias. Understand that an investigator's duty is to the truth, not to a desired outcome, and that ethical obligations continue after the case closes.
Traps in questions
Traps include overstating certainty, including hearsay as fact, and allowing a report to contradict the evidence log. Another trap is failing to disclose a conflict of interest.
Rule of thumb
Use the "could I defend this sentence under cross-examination" test: every assertion in a report should be traceable to evidence or clearly labeled as inference.
Worked example
A report states that the subject "submitted a claim for a service not rendered." The investigator supports it with the invoice, the provider's denial, and the payment record, and labels intent as an open question rather than a conclusion.