The initial draft of a report should include all facts that must be documented because it serves as the foundational element of the report. The primary purpose of the initial draft is to lay out the essential information gathered during the investigation, ensuring that it is accurately recorded, verified, and presented. Including all relevant facts allows for a comprehensive understanding of the situation or case being reported, while also facilitating any necessary follow-up analysis.
Focusing on wording and structure, while important in the final version, is secondary to ensuring that all factual information is captured accurately in the first draft. Similarly, while summarizing conclusions and providing analyses are critical components of the final report, they should derive from the facts documented in the initial draft. Opinions and analyses are often best reserved for later stages of report writing, where they can be supported and contextualized by the factual data gathered during the investigation. Overall, starting with a factual foundation is essential for a thorough and effective report.