PCI Report Writing & Case Presentation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When documenting witness statements in an investigative report, the investigator should:
- Paraphrase all statements to improve clarity
- Record verbatim quotes alongside the investigator's summary (Correct answer)
- Omit contradictory statements to maintain report consistency
- Include only statements that support the primary theory
Correct answer: Record verbatim quotes alongside the investigator's summary
Verbatim quotes preserve accuracy while a summary aids readability, and contradictory statements must never be omitted.
Question 2: The 'chain of custody' documentation within a report primarily serves to:
- Establish the investigator's professional credentials
- Demonstrate evidence was handled without tampering from collection to presentation (Correct answer)
- Summarize investigative costs for billing purposes
- Record the timeline of suspect interviews
Correct answer: Demonstrate evidence was handled without tampering from collection to presentation
Chain of custody documents every transfer and handling of evidence to prove its integrity and admissibility.
Question 3: Which writing style is most appropriate for the body of a formal investigative report?
- First-person narrative with personal opinions
- Second-person instructional style
- Third-person objective style with attribution of all statements (Correct answer)
- Informal conversational tone to improve readability
Correct answer: Third-person objective style with attribution of all statements
Third-person objective style removes personal bias and requires proper attribution, maintaining professionalism and credibility.
Question 4: An investigator discovers exculpatory information during a case. This information should be:
- Excluded from the report since it weakens the case
- Noted privately in personal files only
- Included in the report even if it contradicts the prevailing theory (Correct answer)
- Disclosed only to defense counsel upon request
Correct answer: Included in the report even if it contradicts the prevailing theory
Exculpatory evidence must be documented in the report; omitting it can constitute suppression of evidence and expose the investigator to liability.
Question 5: When presenting a case to a non-technical audience (e.g., a corporate board), an investigator should:
- Use full forensic and legal terminology to appear credible
- Rely exclusively on raw data tables without narrative
- Translate technical findings into plain language with visual aids (Correct answer)
- Limit the presentation to conclusions only, omitting methodology
Correct answer: Translate technical findings into plain language with visual aids
Non-technical audiences require plain language and visuals to understand findings; methodology should still be summarized at an appropriate level.
Question 6: A supplemental report is best used when:
- The original report contains errors that must be replaced
- New information is discovered after the original report was submitted (Correct answer)
- The investigator wants to change a prior conclusion
- Additional invoices need to be attached for billing
Correct answer: New information is discovered after the original report was submitted
Supplemental reports document new findings that emerged after the original report, keeping the case file complete without altering the original.
Question 7: Which element distinguishes a conclusion from a finding in an investigative report?
- Findings are speculative; conclusions are factual
- Findings are factual observations; conclusions are inferences drawn from findings (Correct answer)
- Conclusions must be supported by witness testimony only
- There is no meaningful distinction between the two terms
Correct answer: Findings are factual observations; conclusions are inferences drawn from findings
Findings are directly observed or documented facts, while conclusions represent the investigator's analytical interpretation of those facts.
PCI Report Writing & Case Presentation 2
When documenting witness statements in an investigative report, the investigator should: