• Use hypothetical questions to guide and support your opinion. Hypothetical questions are based on factual evidence and should include only those facts supporting your opinion or conclusion. Remember that hypothetical questions can be abused and made so complex that the finder of fact (expert) might not be able to evaluate the answer.
• Your report should include:
a. Abstract
b. Table of contents
c. Body of report
d. Conclusion
e. Glossary
f. Acknowledgments
g. Appendixes
• When writing a report you should consider:
a. Communicative quality
b. Ideas and organization
c. Grammar and vocabulary
d. Punctuation and spelling
• Your report organization is very important. You should lay out ideas in a logical order and build arguments piece by piece, grouping related ideas and sentences into paragraphs and paragraphs into sections.
• Pay attention to your writing style:
o Use a natural language style
o Avoid jargon, slang, and colloquial terms
o Define technical terms
o Avoid repetition and vague language
o Be precise and specific
o Use active rather than passive voice
o Avoid presenting too many details and personal observations
o Include signposts