Discussion Question – Investigative Reports

 Part 1:

“Investigative Reports” Please respond to the following:

• Assess what makes reading investigative reports difficult or fatiguing or both. Then, recommend how a writer can address your findings.
• Analyze the parts of investigative reports to determine what part you feel is the most critical that could often be miscommunicated. Explain your reason(s).

Part 2:

Respond to one student in a substantive post that furthers the discussion. At least 150 words. (choose one)

a.  

Analyze the parts of investigative reports to determine what part you feel is the most critical that could often be miscommunicated. Explain your reason(s).

When writing an investigative report, it can be broken down into several sections.

1. The initial summary
2. The conclusion
3. Recommendations
4. Main body of the report

I believe the initial summary is an extremely important part of any investigative report, and as it is the very nature of a summary to keep it brief, it leaves it open to being miscommunicated or interpreted. The summary needs to be clear and concise but can’t leave out key information that could lead the reader to misunderstand the writing. You can go into greater detail in the main body of the report, but you can not provide partial or fully forget key information from the summary and assume the reader will finish the report and get the remaining information from the main body.

b.  

Investigative reports can be difficult and fatiguing as they can be very extensive in the information they provide. It’s a detailed document that covers an investigation in great detail from start to finish, thus several occurrences may have occurred throughout the entire investigation and need to be covered. A writer can address findings by looking specifically under sections of interest, i.e, summary, conclusion, or main body points. This will allow for finding of pertinent details as opposed to the entire investigation.

The most important part of an investigative report is the main body as it will hold the bulk of the details to help determine cause, impact, outcomes, reasoning and other important information in regards to the investigation.

c.  

Investigative reports describe events that took place in detail and with high level of accuracy.  These reports need to stay clear from unnecessary information and language fillers.   It can make the technical reports very saturated with facts and take more time to read and comprehend.    Investigative reports must not convey emotional or personal bias.   

Logical organization may make reading the reports less difficult and fatiguing.   Being able to easily locate the portions of the text that are of interest will be helpful, for example, organize using sections and section headings.   As suggested by the 10 Investigative Report Samples and Examples article (n.d.), the investigative report needs to be brief, to the point and simple and clear,   Also, well organized and ultimately serve its intended purpose.

All parts of the report have the potential of miscommunication.   In my opinion, conclusion may be the most likely to be miscommunicated   Mainly because the conclusion is usually a subjective choice.  Presenting the same facts to different people would lead to different conclusions.   The investigative reports should focus on presenting the facts objectively.   However, the report conclusions may or may not be useful for all readers.

Reference

10 Investigation Report Samples and Examples. (n.d.). Retrieved from:

https://www.examples.com/business/investigation-report.html

d.  

Hello professor and class,

In the first part of the discussion, investigative reports tend to be extremely technical and very detail oriented.  What a regular report may list in one page, an investigative report may take four or five. There are many reasons for this, some of which include details that may be needed for legal issues or accounting purposes.  The wording is all written very precise , and in moist details, no details are left out.  The best way for a do obtain the information they want from this type of a paper is to take notes and specifically pay attention to the main body of the text.  Combining these two ideas should be of significant help in this case.

In the second part of the discussion, The parts of an investigative report are:

Summary .  This is the abbreviated version of the incident.  

Description.  This will include the full and detailed description of what has happened. It will be very detail oriented and long and hard to read in most cases.

Outcomes: This section tells the audience what has been  done or solved in wake of the report.  

Conclusions:  The conclusion is, in my opinion, the part of this report that can be interpreted incorrectly and cause miscommunication.  The conclusion is the authors opinion, based on what they have seen or heard.

   

Chapter 9

Investigative Reports

Goals

· Develop a trip report that meets the needs of the audience

· Compose an effective incident report

· Compose science reports

· Compose forensic reports

Terms

· conclusion, p.

218

· deductive reasoning, p.

217

· forensic reports, p.

221

· incident reports, p.

213

· inductive reasoning, p. 217

· objectivity, p. 218

· passive voice, p. 218

· result, p. 218

· scientific method, p. 217

· trip reports, p.

215

WRITE TO LEARN

Consider an investigation you made recently. Perhaps you had a problem with a piece of equipment and had to investigate what caused the problem. Or maybe you attended a workshop, a seminar, or an off-campus lecture or looked for a new apartment and needed to tell others what you learned. Or perhaps you tried a new recipe for your family or took part in a clinical trial. Think about your impressions of what is required to effectively report on an investigation. Write a paragraph describing the audience that needs to learn about this situation. List three to five pieces or types of information your audience may need. Write your impression of how your audience will use the information.

Focus on Investigative Reports

Read the sample incident report on the next page and answer these questions:

· When did the incident occur?

· Where is the date of the incident mentioned?

· What is the main idea? In other words, what was the incident?

· What kind of information is contained in the Outcomes section?

What If?

· The information was intended for only one reader—an administrator at the hospital?

· The person who improperly installed the probe was not known?

Sample Incident Report

Writing@Work

Courtesy of Anna Linnenberger

Anna Linnenberger works for a small Colorado-based optics research company called Boulder Nonlinear Systems (BNS). BNS builds spatial light modulators, which are essentially programmable lenses that can be used, for example, for satellite laser communications, data encryption, and optical tweezers for biological research.

At BNS, Anna is responsible for developing software, overseeing customer support, testing new products, writing proposals and reports, and running funded projects that are under way. According to Anna, “Writing skills are surprisingly underemphasized in engineering classes. Although I have a BS in computer engineering and am working toward a doctorate in electrical engineering, I learned most of my writing skills on the job from senior engineers.”

Even with expert help, Anna finds proposals difficult to write well: “Not only are you often writing about a subtopic that you are not an expert on, but your audience is a proposal reviewer who probably isn’t an expert either. So it can be challenging to propose an idea persuasively and clearly to your target audience.”

For Anna, reporting on research projects that are under way is much easier than writing proposals. “Each research project requires progress reports and final reports that are written according to a predefined formula or outline. You are writing to the funding agency’s technical point person for your project. They basically want to know that their money is being spent to develop the technology you proposed and that things are moving forward at a reasonable pace.”

The writing style for Anna’s engineering reports is minimalist: “Write clearly and get to the point quickly. You don’t want to be wordy, and you never use first-person point of view such as ‘I did this’ or ‘we did that.’ All technical terms need to be defined the first time you use them.” Anna hopes that her reports and proposals are used to “further optics research in new directions.”

Think Critically

1. Go to BNS’s website. Has the company explained its mission so that a nontechnical person can understand it? Does BNS need to explain its mission? Why or why not?

2. Why do you think writing skills are underemphasized in engineering classes? Do you think most engineers write as much as Anna does? Explain.

Printed with permission of Anna Linnenberger

Warm Up

Imagine a familiar scene: Children are playing together when something is broken. When an adult arrives, he or she asks, “What happened?” What responses do the children provide? Will all of the children give the same account? Will some responses be more useful to the questioner than others? If so, how and why? Describe similar situations from your work or academic life.

INCIDENT REPORT

Incident reports

, also called accident reports, describe an unusual incident or occurrence. The incident could be an accident, a surprise inspection, the outburst of an angry employee or customer, or a near-accident. When police write the details of a fender bender, they are writing an incident report. When an instructor “writes up” a student for missing class, he or she is writing an incident report.

The report must be carefully written to reflect what really happened, for it can become legal evidence used in court. It also must be written to accommodate the needs of a variety of readers. These readers may be heads of companies, managers, oversight organizations such as the FDA, insurance companies, and criminal justice personnel. Incident reports are used by many professionals. Anyone who is responsible for overseeing the safety of personnel, the public, operations, and equipment; for preventing accidents; or for dealing with the aftermath of accidents might read an incident report.

Incident reports communicate a precise description of what happened and provide a file for later reference. They also are written to help employees and organizations see what is occurring so they can formulate plans to prevent the incident from occurring again.

Figure 9.1

on the next page recounts an incident at a food production plant. The most likely readers are supervisors, managers, company heads, and food safety inspectors. Other possible readers are consumer groups, news agencies, representatives of insurance companies, criminal proceedings personnel, and union representatives. Because of the potential for many different readers and some distant from the writer, the report is formal, using an appropriate manuscript format.

To write an incident report:

1. Begin with a brief summary of what happened.

2. Add Background as a heading if information about events leading up to the incident would be helpful to your readers. Some incident reports combine the summary and background and do not use a separate heading for this part if it is short.

3. Under Description, tell exactly what happened in chronological order. Make sure you cover the Reporter’s Questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?

4. Be honest and objective.

5. Use the Outcome section to provide the observable incident results.

6. Use the Conclusion section to tell what was learned from the incident and how to prevent it from happening again.

To get started, carefully note any evidence. Interview people separately who witnessed or who know about the incident. Do not include information you cannot verify.

TYPICAL READER

Anyone who is responsible for safety or who must handle a situation after an accident or incident.

WRITER’S FOCUS

Writing precise, detailed, and objective information that answers the audience’s questions and is organized to be easily read and used.

Figure 9.1 Example of Incident Report

STOP AND THINK

The Reporter’s Questions should be answered in the Description section of an incident report. What are the questions?

Warm Up

Suppose you are planning a vacation to a place from which someone you know just returned. What questions would you ask that person? Do you think that person’s experience might enhance your trip in some way? If so, how?

TRIP REPORT

Trip reports

tell supervisors and coworkers what was gained from a business trip. Trip reports are a condensed narrative. Often the report does not include everything about the trip, only those parts that are most useful to the organization. In this way, the trip report is similar to a summary because the writer includes only the essential details about the trip.

Businesses often send workers to conferences to learn the latest developments in their field. Sometimes associates visit other businesses to negotiate deals or to learn about operations. A trip is an investigation, a research mission from which the findings must be shared with others. Typically, trip reports provide managers with critical information resulting from a trip. In addition, coworkers may use information from trip reports to do their jobs.

Figure 9.2

on the next page is a trip report from Lily Lang detailing her findings from a business trip to China. While in China, she met with current and potential vendors for her company—a manufacturer and a wholesaler of hammocks, rugs, and other household and outdoor furnishings.

To write a trip report:

TYPICAL READER

Managers and administrators (and sometimes coworkers and clients/customers) who need information acquired during a trip to make decisions and plans.

WRITER’S FOCUS

Creating clear, well-organized, and focused information and constantly considering the audience’s needs and roles.

1. Report information your audience will find most useful. You do not need to include all of the details of the trip, only what your audience requires.

2. Preview the report in your introduction.

3. Cover the Reporter’s Questions as you write the report: Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? Write a section for each major concept or activity to be reported.

4. Include a heading for each section (major concept or activity) in the report body.

5. Use bulleted lists for important events or knowledge gained.

6. Decide whether your report needs Conclusions and/or Recommendations sections. Some trip reports require both, others neither, and some only one.

· Use Conclusions to summarize the trip benefits or findings.

· Use Recommendations to suggest further action(s).

7. Choose chronological order or order of importance.

8. Use active voice and first person—I or we—to make the report sound natural.

Do not try to retell every element of a trip. In addition, do not include information that has no relevance to your audience, such as the chance meeting of a childhood friend or the fabulous Indian restaurant you discovered.

Prepare for writing a trip report before you leave. Find out what the purpose of the trip is and what your organization expects you to learn. Investigate these concerns during your trip and address them in the report.

To see a longer version of the trip report shown on the next page, go to

www.cengage.com/school/bcomm/techwtg

. Click the link for Chapter 9; then click Sample Documents.

Figure 9.2 Example of Trip Report

STOP AND THINK

How do writers decide what to cover in a trip report?

Warm Up

How do your science classes differ from your other classes (such as English, history, business, or physical education)? Explain why you think these differences exist.

SCIENCE LAB REPORTS

The best science is born of a curiosity about the world along with the creative thinking to figure things out. Scientific findings, however, add little to people’s collective knowledge unless someone records what was done and what happened in a science report. In the classroom, lab reports become the vehicles for testing knowledge of concepts and procedures. In professional disciplines, lab reports become the basis of science articles submitted to major journals such as Analytical Chemistry and Journal of Forensic Sciences.

The steps of the

scientific method

dictate the structure of science reports. The scientific method uses both inductive and deductive reasoning. Reasoning from a particular observation (I sneeze every time I am around a rose) to a general conclusion (Therefore, I think roses make me sneeze) is called

inductive reasoning

. Reasoning from a general conclusion (I think roses make me sneeze) to a particular situation (I probably won’t sneeze if I give my mother candy instead of roses) is called

deductive reasoning

. Using inductive reasoning, scientists arrive at a tentative hypothesis, then use deductive reasoning to test that hypothesis for validity. The science report is the written record of this process.

While some differences exist in the structure of a science report among various disciplines—names for a heading or the addition of a section—a science report always answers these questions: What was the purpose of the lab? What materials were used? What procedure was followed? What were the results? What were the conclusions?

Organize

As you review the notes taken during your experiment or procedure, organize your information into these sections:

· Introduction: Tells the purpose or the objective of the lab (what the lab is expected to prove) and can provide background of the situation under investigation, tells under whose authority the lab was conducted, and provides relevant dates. The introduction does not always have a separate heading in shorter reports.

· Materials and Method (also called Experimental Section, Methodology, or Procedures): Lists materials, items, evidence, and/or instruments used. This section describes the procedure and includes relevant calculations. Materials can be presented in a separate heading from Methodology if the report is long.

· Results and Discussion (or just Results): Presents test results with relevant calculations, including any accompanying graphics such as tables or graphs. This section presents the results and explains why things happened. Results can be presented in a separate heading from Discussion if the report is long.

· Conclusion(s): Includes a brief summary that tells how the test results, findings, and analyses meet the objectives of the lab. This section tells what was learned or gained from the experiment.

TYPICAL READER

· A scientist or professional interested in learning and critiquing the latest research in the field.

· An educator testing students’ knowledge of a concept or process.

Both readers respect, understand, and follow the scientific method.

WRITER’S FOCUS

Setting up sound research design, recording results methodically, analyzing data, and drawing logical conclusions. Presenting research objectively, following the principles of the scientific method.

COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

New technologies have made modern scientific research possible. The developments of advanced instrumentation and experimental techniques have provided researchers the means to collect many forms of qualitative and quantitative data. Computer programs such as molecular modeling programs, Ab Initio quantum chemistry software, Mathcad, and Maple help process and analyze huge amounts of data.

Think Critically

Research one of these programs and explain how this program helps researchers make new discoveries in science.

Write

After organizing your data, you are ready to write. In most cases, you will be writing to an expert in the field. (An exception is forensics, which may require explanations for the lay reader too.) So you will most likely use the scientific jargon of the field. When writing, remember to:

1. Use precision when describing procedures or offering numerical calculations.

✔ Precise	✗ Approximate
The tadpole measured 3.15 cm long.	The tadpole measured about 3 cm long.

2. Use

passive voice

(the verb to be + the past participle of the verb) when describing the methodology or procedures. Passive voice focuses on the process and keeps the report objective.

✔ Passive Voice	✗ Active Voice
Tiny shifts in blood flow to parts of the brain were detected with functional MRI.	Using functional MRI, we detected tiny shifts in blood flow to parts of the brain.

3. Maintain

objectivity

by describing observable results without letting personal bias or emotions influence your observations.

✔ Objectivity	✗ Personal Bias or Emotions
The client fidgeted, her eyes darted around the room, and she pursed her lips tightly.	The client was clearly angry.

4. Separate observable results (the facts) in the Results section from conclusions drawn (what the facts mean) in the Conclusions section. A result is not the same as a conclusion. A

result

is simply what happened. A

conclusion

goes beyond what happened and requires the researcher to draw an inference and interpret the data.

✔ Results	✗ Conclusion
The patient’s temperature remained stable, ranging from 97.5° to 98.1 ° over the last 48 hours.	The patient is no longer contagious.

Complete the Active/Passive Editing Exercise worksheet available at www.cengage.com/school/bcomm/techwtg. Click the link for Chapter 9; then click Data Files.

5. Document any sources that were used and provide a list of references.

6. When required by the discipline and length of the lab, consider adding:

· A Theory section if the lab relies on extensive theory.

· An Instrumentation section if the lab tests equipment.

· A Calculations section if the lab uses lengthy mathematical computations.

· A Recommendation section if future research is warranted.

· An Appendix (a separate section at the end of the report) if complex data such as tables and graphs would otherwise disrupt the flow of the report.

The FDA publishes a website that contains links to press releases of the past decade. You will find everything from food and drug research to biologics and radiation protection.

Go to the NET Bookmark for Chapter 9. What key topics are in the FDA’s news? What news is in the spotlight? Read one article and share five facts from the article with your classmates.

www.cengage.com/school/bcomm/techwtg

7. Use the straightforward language of the science report.

·
To Verb + What Phrases: To determine the differences between several aquatic ecosystems, samples were taken in November from three sites in Georgia.

· Lists: A survey was sent to 150 students, 25 instructors, and 50 parents.

· Description of Processes: The blood was drawn from the patient’s finger and placed on the slide. The sample was examined under a microscope.

· Cause-to-Effect Reasoning: The data from the table suggests that the resolution is highest with the pH 7/45% meOH buffer solution (alpha = 3.35).

Do not include results in the Conclusions section or conclusions in the Results section. Do not allow your personal bias to influence the conclusions you draw. Finally, do not leave out any relevant data. Record results exactly as they happen. On the next page,

Figure 9.3

shows a science lab report.

Focus on Ethics

Clinical trials are research studies that test the effectiveness of new drugs, vaccines, and medical procedures. Many of these trials are funded by private companies. Usually, these companies want to sell the medicines related to the study.

Changing or “fudging” data can be tempting for funding organizations when results of a lab experiment are unexpected or difficult to understand. Ideally, clinical trials and tests from several sources would show similar results. If that is the case, the results are considered to be true, or valid. Sometimes, though, studies show conflicting results.

Jacob Krishner is the president of AM Pharmaceuticals. His company sponsored a clinical trial for a vaccine to protect against malaria. Three other trials had already indicated the effectiveness of the vaccine. The most recent study, done on a relatively small sample and conducted by his newest research scientist, shows that the drug might have a serious side effect. The company has sunk a great deal of money into this project, and company profits are down.

Think Critically

What should Jacob do? Does he accept the latest test results? Does he manufacture the vaccine based on the other three studies? What should he consider as he makes his decision?

Figure 9.3 Science Lab Report

STOP AND THINK

What is the difference between results and conclusions? Why do writers of science lab reports use passive voice?

Warm Up

How do you make judgments about people and events? Do you base your opinions on evidence, intuition, or a combination of both? Explain.

FORENSIC REPORTS

Forensic reports

are investigative reports that analyze evidence for legal purposes. From the Latin forensic (“of the forum,” or “public”), forensics is the branch of science that uses scientific principles and methodology to evaluate various kinds of evidence. Forensic science includes a variety of specialties, including the study of handwriting, fingerprinting, blood, ballistics, tire treads, and computer hard drives. While television shows such as NCIS have made forensic work in a crime lab popular, noncriminal investigations use forensic science as well. Highly trained in their respective fields, forensic experts write reports and often testify in legal proceedings.

As a specialized type of science lab, forensic reports strictly adhere to the scientific method—similar to the science lab reports discussed in the preceding section. Attention to detail, reliance on test procedures, objective analysis, documented research, careful reporting, and observations based on evidence are all important. Ethical considerations are vital as the forensic specialist strives to present evidence without making unnecessary assumptions or unproven interpretations. The facts must speak for themselves. On the following page,

Figure 9.4

shows a forensic report.

To write a forensic report:

1. Identify the credentials of the expert (name, title, education, and sometimes years of experience). This information can be included at the beginning or end of a report. As part of court testimony, the credentials are subject to careful scrutiny by the prosecuting and defense attorneys.

2. Identify the specimens under investigation, usually by number. These specimens may become exhibits in a case.

TYPICAL READER

A member of a legal proceeding who must make a decision, decide the fate of a defendant, discover the truth, or make critical decisions based on the best evidence available.

WRITER’S FOCUS

Investigating objectively and thoroughly, presenting expert opinion clearly, and explaining complex processes to people not familiar with the field.

© Edw 2009/Used under license from Shutterstock.com

Figure 9.4 Forensic Report

Communication Dilemma

Akira Mehrs, the director of Spalding Photography Studio, must write an incident report about an altercation that occurred between an employee whom she respects a great deal and a customer. Darrell French, a photography aide, was accepting payment from Dawn Morton for a packet of her daughter’s portraits. When Ms. Morton’s credit card was declined, she became agitated, demanding that Mr. French run the card again and exclaiming that he must be doing something wrong. Mr. French walked away, leaving Ms. Mehrs to handle the situation. When Ms. Mehrs sits down to write the incident report, she considers omitting the fact that Mr. French walked away from his station because she realizes that that fact will detract from his service record.

Think Critically

Should Ms. Mehrs omit details from the report to protect her employee? Why or why not?

3. Organize the report according to the principles of the basic forensic report, as follows:

· Evidence: A description of the evidence collected.

· Method: A description of the method or procedure used to test the evidence, using charts, graphs, photos, and/or diagrams as necessary.

· Observation (sometimes called Interpretation, Results, or Conclusion): The conclusions that can be reasonably drawn from the evidence. The report also notes if the evidence is not conclusive or if evidence is missing.

© The Image Bank/Getty Images

4. Write descriptions, discussion, and observations using the basic principles of scientific and technical communication: Use specific and precise measurements and vocabulary. Remain objective and focus on the process and the data.

5. Use strategies for communicating unfamiliar information to a lay audience. Explain terms as you write, provide quick definitions (in parentheses or in the next sentence), explain scientific concepts using common analogies, and break down complex processes step-by-step.

6. Provide headings and subheadings as necessary. For example, if you are asked to determine the number, sex, age, and condition of a set of bones, the report might include these headings: Number, Sex, Age, and Condition of Remains.

7. Provide references as they are used. You can cite references with parenthetical citations and a list of references at the end.

Do not allow prejudice or bias to influence your findings. Rely on evidence, not conjecture. Do not draw inferences if the evidence is incomplete. Simply point out that the evidence is insufficient.

STOP AND THINK

Why is it important for forensic specialists to include their credentials in a forensic report?

CHAPTER 9
REVIEW

SUMMARY

1. Trip reports tell supervisors and coworkers what was gained from a business trip. The report includes only those details of the trip that are most helpful for the audience.

2. Incident reports, also called accident reports, describe an accident or an unusual incident or occurrence.

3. Lab reports answer these questions: What was the purpose of the lab? What materials were used? What was the procedure? What were the results? What are the conclusions?

4. Forensic reports give the credentials of the examiner, describe evidence, describe the method used to examine the evidence, and make observations.

Checklist

· Have I analyzed my audience(s) and determined what readers need to know?

· Have I designed, organized, and written the document with the audience in mind?

· Is my format appropriate for the audience and the situation?

· Have I included relevant background information?

· Are the data under each heading organized appropriately?

· Is the information complete and accurate?

· Have I presented problems as facts, not accusations?

Build Your Foundation

1. Are these statements subjective or objective? Explain.

a. This is the best English class I have ever taken.

b. This class covers the basic style and formatting of technical writing.

c. The patient seemed angry, probably because of something that happened on the way to the office.

d. The temperature is in the mid-80s with little chance of rain.

2. Some of the sentences below are vague, and some include the writer’s opinions. Revise each sentence to make it specific and factual. Invent details as needed.

a. The calibrator is several minutes off schedule.

b. The phenomenal response to our new computer safety education program shows that this new program will benefit employees.

c. To get to the warehouse, go down the hall a bit and turn left.

d. The line was down for a while on Friday because of some lecture on safety.

3. Are the statements listed below observable results? Respond yes or no.

a. The manager plans to review safety standards with all employees.

b. The olive trees have lost 80 percent of their leaves.

c. Mr. Domingues regrets his decision to close the recapping unit.

d. After the robbery, the Gallery Movie Theater closed.

e. The front line operator failed to read the Caution statement.

4. What type of graphics do these statements call for? Consider calculations, figures, and tables.

a. The experiments were designed to demonstrate the properties of inverse functions. We experimented with several types of functions, including transcendental functions and polynomial expressions.

b. The area of the platinum disk was found using simple algebra.

c. An energy flow diagram (see Figure 2) was developed illustrating the energy flow and the student’s position on the food web.

d. The circuit in Figure 3 uses an op-amp as a multiplier.

5. Which part of the following statements could be more precise?

a. The bear drank from the water hole several times in the afternoon.

b. The decibels were tested at levels too low for human ears.

c. The robin sat on a few eggs in its nest for a couple of weeks.

d. The CPU costs around $500, the monitor costs about $350, and the printer costs $398.99 plus shipping and handling.

6. Where do these sentences belong in a lab report—under Introduction, Materials and Method, Results, Discussion, or Conclusions?

a. For this activity, four potatoes, four pieces of wood, four cans, and a flame were used to determine evidence of carbon.

b. The larger the food supply, the larger the guppy population.

c. The data for absorbencies in Table 1 show excellent correlation and a strong linear relationship (R=1.00) for Plot 1.

7. To practice explaining complex information to a lay audience, find a way to explain these laws of physics to a 6-year-old.

a. Conservation of Matter: Matter is neither created nor destroyed.

b. Third Law of Motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

c. First Law of Motion: A body persists in its state of rest or of uniform motion unless acted upon by an external unbalanced force.

8. Think of ways to explain these complex processes so that a lay reader can easily understand the process. Look for a common occurrence or description to use as an analogy:

a. How the subconscious affects a person’s behavior

b. How the human eye sees

c. How lightning is formed

Your Turn

9. Think of a time when something went wrong—perhaps a problem at school or work. After identifying and analyzing your audience, write an incident report describing the incident and what you learned.

10. Visit a place of interest—perhaps a college, a business, a museum, or a sporting event. Think of questions to ask during your trip. Write a trip report to a real or fictional supervisor, answering the questions.

11. Conduct a science experiment at home. Get ideas from books, a science instructor, or online sources (Steve Spangler Science or ScienceBob). Take notes and write a lab report for English class.

12. Think of something about which you would like to know more—when your car gets better gas mileage or whether some brand of sunscreen works better than another. Ask a science instructor to help you design an experiment. Perform the experiment and write a lab report.

Community Connection

13. Volunteer at a daycare center, for a reading program, or for another activity. Write an incident report based on an event you witnessed or learned of. Address the report to the leader of the organization.

14. If you have a chance to travel to a conference, a seminar, a workshop, or another event, provide a trip report to the sponsors of the trip. Ask your classmates and/or instructor to help edit and revise the report.

15. Interview someone who performs experiments, conducts labs or medical tests, or examines evidence (a police officer or a medical examiner, for example). Ask how reports are written, how evidence is handled, and how the scientific method is used. Discuss the difficulty of remaining objective. Share a short written or oral report with your class.

16. Attend a court proceeding for a criminal case and take notes. How do forensic specialists provide expert testimony? Interview a lawyer and ask about the importance of forensic testimony and the procedure for admitting it into evidence. Tell your classmates how your findings compare with the chapter’s information about forensic reports.