Incident Report Writing: Objectivity, Chronology, and Precision
What the questions test
Incident report items ask you to choose the clearest, most objective, and most complete wording for a factual account. You will evaluate sentences for vagueness, bias, speculation, and missing essential facts (who, what, when, where, how).
Concepts to master
- Objectivity: report observable facts, not opinions or conclusions. "The subject appeared unsteady" is better than "the subject was drunk."
- Chronology: events in time order, with clear time references.
- Precision: exact times, locations, names, and direct quotes where possible.
- Active voice: "Officer Smith observed..." rather than "It was observed..." when the actor is known.
- Completeness: identify all parties, the sequence of events, actions taken, and any evidence.
- Neutral language: avoid slang, sarcasm, and emotionally loaded words.
Traps to watch
- Substituting a conclusion ("he was combative") for the behavior observed ("he clenched his fists and raised his voice").
- Vague time references like "later" or "around then."
- Opinions disguised as facts.
- Omitting who took the action.
Worked example
Weak: "The guy was acting crazy, so I dealt with him."
Strong: "At 14:20, Officer Smith observed the subject pacing and shouting at pedestrians near the north entrance. Officer Smith approached and asked the subject to lower his voice. The subject refused and continued shouting."
The strong version names the actor, gives a time and location, describes observable behavior, and states actions taken - without drawing conclusions.
Rule of thumb: if you cannot see, hear, or measure it, describe the behavior that led to the conclusion instead of stating the conclusion.