How to Write a Good Documentary Report
Arnold Webster · Arboriculture & Urban Forestry · 1985
A tree is a tree, is a tree.Whose it is doesn't matter to me. But value it true Is what I must do, With court-ready testimony.The limerick communicates important ideas directly and unmistakably.That's exactly what a good documentary report must do.Court-ready testimony?Isn't that too much to require for every report, especially a simple, cutand-dried case?A "simple" case can become a full-blown court case overnight.None of us can predict which case that will be.The professional way to work is to be prepared for any turn of events by developing an excellent court-ready report.Prepare, on the site, carefully detailed field notes.Submit a polished final report in a distinctive and appropriate folder.Every step between start and finish must contribute to unmistakable communication of important facts.Reports are made to be read and understood.COMMUNICATION is the name of the game for us.Who will read your report?Will it be a friendly local attorney accepting your work as part of a deposition?If he sees you have done an excellent job, your report could signal the end of litigation.On the other hand, your documentary report may be exhaustively examined by a battery of sharp and knowledgeable people, including other arborists.Will you squirm uneasily as they search, hoping they will overlook omissions and errors you've made, or will you have submitted solid court-ready testimony?It had better be the latter.Here's a list of words beginning with "C" that can help you write a court-ready documentary report.Communicate Clearly, Concisely, Completely, Competently.Buzzing around, looking for a place to be included is another C: Concentration.Capture it and never let it go.Without concentration the other C's may fail.Communication is our goal.Even repetition cannot overemphasize that, but communication does not happen unless our thoughts and facts are presented Clearly.Facts have to be stated so clearly that even the most devious attorney can-