An investigation is a search for the truth to reconstruct a past event. When done properly, it will help to prevent future incidents or problems by way of policy changes, improved training and inspections. The investigative process can also be used to gather evidence about a wrongdoing and bring a suspect to justice.
Good investigations have a clear framework or structure, and are conducted methodically. They are based on close research and are often formal, official or judicial. But it’s important to remember that investigations can take place outside of a courtroom: for example, an art historian may investigate the origin of a painting using online resources, archives and close study.
Documentation is the key to maintaining a verifiable record of what you have found, how you got it and how it fits together. It will not only make you a better investigator, but will stand up to criticism if someone disputes your conclusions.
You must be impartial and open to all the information you uncover, even if it contradicts your preconceived ideas or makes you change your mind about an earlier conclusion. Unless you can do this, your evidence will be unreliable.
In your reporting, it’s important to think of your readers. You must not get too bogged down in the details and end up presenting them in an inaccessible way. Rather, you should seek to write in an accessible way, “with a kind of factual brutalism that helps people to understand what they have read,” as Fabrice Arfi says in this GIJN masterclass.
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