Separate facts from assumptions in a report

A report can be useful without being certain about everything. Problems arise when an inference quietly becomes a fact. Someone saying “they usually take that bus” does not establish that they boarded it on the day in question.

Label the basis of each detail

Use plain phrases such as “I saw,” “a friend told me,” “the message says,” and “we have not confirmed.” They help a reader understand the strength and origin of the information without requiring technical labels.

A photograph, a message, and a person's recollection may describe different moments. Keep their dates separate. Do not combine them into a single last-seen account unless the connection is established.

Keep competing accounts available

If two witnesses remember different clothing colors, record both privately with their sources. Ask the responsible authority how to handle the discrepancy in public wording. Choosing one version merely because it is easier to explain may mislead helpers.

• Direct observation: what the source personally experienced.
• Reported information: what someone else communicated.
• Interpretation: what you think the information might mean.
• Unknown: what you still cannot establish.

Correct without embarrassment

A correction is part of keeping a report useful. Date it, identify the changed statement, and tell the people who received the older version. Avoid silently editing a key detail while leaving earlier shares unexplained.

The objective is a record that can be checked. It is better to communicate a narrow confirmed fact than a persuasive narrative built around gaps.