Essay: Characteristics of a Well Written Report
There are four characteristics of a well written report. The four characteristics are that the report should be clearly written, concise, accurate, and contain a complete accounting of all the information generated. It is important that these characteristics are kept in mind when writing a report. They will ensure repeated success every time you are tasked with writing one.
The first characteristic is that the report must be clearly written. A good indicator that the report is not clear is when different people read the same report and come up with different interpretations. I like to believe that it takes more than one person to write a good report. I suggest getting into a habit of having others review your reports. Ask them to question what they’ve read and make suggestions if necessary. What may sound clear to you may not be as clear to others. This simple suggestion will improve your writing skills substantially because it will make you conscience of necessary improvements and mistakes that you may not be aware of.
Writing a concise report is the second characteristic of a well written report. The writer should attempt to be very stingy with their words and to get their point across as economically as possible. Writing a report that is too wordy will allow room for misinterpretation. It may also undo the previously mentioned characteristic of clearly written reports. Ensuring that the report is concise will help the writer deliver his point much clearly. Additionally, it is important that the writer quote the person who supplied the information and ensures their statements are factual and objective. Reports that contain, “He said,” or “She said,” sentences are prone to creating confusion if a paragraph is not structured correctly.
The third characteristic of a well written report is that it must be accurate. A report that is accurate contains specific information. A report without specifics is vague and a vague report may leave questions unanswered and lack the previously mentioned characteristics of being clear and concise.
The fourth characteristic of a well written report is that it must contain a complete accounting of all the information that was collected. A good indicator of a report that is well accounted for is that it can stand on its own without an oral explanation of its content. A complete accounting of its information becomes more important when it is read and questioned by others regarding its context. Include specific names, titles, permit and license numbers, approximate times the incident occurred as well as when the writer arrived at the scene. All facts with relevance to the incident should be incorporated into the report.
The following is an example incident report written by a patrol officer:
At approximately 15:28 hours on 11 March 2014, the writer was dispatched to an incident at the Pathmark Supermarket located at the Alexandra Shopping Plaza, 3337 Route 46 in Parsippany, NJ. Upon arrival the writer noticed a white Caucasian female sitting on the ground and holding her left shoulder with her right hand. The female who was identified as Sandra Jones, 25 year old who live on 3 Heart Lane in Parsippany, NJ stated that at approximately 15:33 hours she was walking out of the store with one grocery bag in each of her hands when she fell and landed on her right wrist and left shoulder. The incident occurred on the north entrance and exit side of the Parsippany Pathmark Supermarket. Ms. Jones sustained large lacerations on her right wrist, forearm and left shoulder. The Parsippany Ambulance Corp arrived at the scene at approximately 15:48 hours. Two Emergency Medical Technicians, Mr. Charles Khucho (license no. 663) and Ms. Elena Cheronova (license no. 712) treated Ms. Jones’s right arm. The EMTs treated her injuries. At 16:03 hours, Ms. Jones was taken to the Morristown Medical Hospital by the Medical Technicians for further evaluation. Ms. Jones was unaccompanied. Mr. Jason Strong, a 17 year old white Latino male employee of the Pathmark Supermarket, stated he was collecting food carriages in the parking lot when he witnessed Ms. Jones fall to the ground. He stated that there were no obstructions or safety hazards in her immediate area that could have created an unsafe condition. Mr. Strong is not acquainted with Ms. Jones. It is unknown who contacted the Parsippany Ambulance Corp.
It is important to highlight that good report writing occurs with lots of practice, corrections and rewriting. It is difficult to improve on your own and I strongly suggest the use of a third party to proofread your reports. Before long you’ll start to appreciate well written reports and learn other styles of report writing. It takes time to become a good report writer and I suggest perseverance and remembering the characteristics stated above. Post them in front of you when you for easy reference. This simple step will help you go a long way.

References http:faculty.mu.edu.sa/download.php?fid=24714 (Characteristics of a Good Report)
Criminal Investigation (J10B) Textbook (copyright 2012 by McGraw-Hill) Characteristics of a Good Report, Ashworth College, Criminal Justice, page 189,