Reports get reviewed by people who were not involved in the research — opposing counsel, a court, an internal auditor. They should be built for that reader.
Required elements
- Scope statement describing exactly what was requested
- Methodology summary describing the categories of sources used
- Findings separated clearly from analysis and inference
- Source notes with record dates for each material finding
- Confidence indicators explaining why a conclusion is rated as it is
- An explicit limitations section
- Research dates and the identity of the preparing analyst or team
The limitations section is the tell
A report with no limitations section is a warning sign. Every investigation has boundaries — records that did not exist, jurisdictions not searched, conflicts that could not be resolved. Naming them is what makes the rest of the document trustworthy.
What should not appear
Speculation presented as finding, sensational characterizations, sensitive personal identifiers that the matter does not require, or descriptions of investigative methodology detailed enough to be exploited.
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