8127/frame/fm

 
b.
What Information Should Be in a Report?
As the final work product of the criminalist’s effort, a written report is
frequently the sole source from which others will understand the evidence
and the analyst’s opinion of it. The analyst should carefully consider for
whom the report is being written. Different readers require different levels
of technical discussion and summaries with different emphases. A forensic
report should be useful and accessible to a layperson, such as the detective
or attorney, and should also provide enough information for another expert
to understand what was done and what it means. Your report is basically the
means by which you publish your data. Remember that people may make
decisions based solely on the content of your report. We suggest a structure
similar to the following:
1.
 
Summary
The summary should be directed to the layperson who may never
get past the first page of the report. For a forensic report, the
summary should encapsulate the salient elements of the rest of
the report. At the very least, it should contain the 
 
conclusion
derived from the results of the tests. The conclusion is not the
results. It is the analyst’s best interpretation of what the results
mean. The conclusion should always contain any information
relating to the strength or reliability of the test. Without this
information, the lay reader, in particular, could be seriously misled
regarding the import of your results.
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The information detailed above can be presented in a variety of formats; the
names of the sections are less important than the information contained
therein. One example of a complete report may be found in Figure 11.3.
These suggestions are generally supported by the DNA Advisory Board
(DAB) standards but there is no reason that they should be specific to DNA
analysis. We expect that groups now working to develop guidelines in other
disciplines will arrive at similar conclusions. The relevant section of the DAB
guidelines is reproduced in Figure 11.4.
The results of all examinations should be included in the report; the analyst
does not have the option of excluding a result because he thinks it is irrelevant,
or worse yet, inconvenient. His opinion may not be, and should not be, the final
filter regarding the usefulness of a particular result. Raw data generated from
the case need not be available in the body of the report, but should be imme-
diately and cooperatively made available to a qualified analyst acting (usually
through an attorney) on behalf of opposing counsel. This is the only way the
original work product can be effectively reviewed by an independent expert.
2.