Why They Can't Write: Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities

by John Warner

what is there, you should also be thinking about what’s absent. What sorts of things that people put on keychains might be missing? 2. Draw inferences. What conclusions can you draw based on your observations? Who is this person? What is their gender? What do they like? How old are they? What do they do (or not do) with their time? What are their attitudes and beliefs? 3. Extend inferences. Based on those initial inferences, what other conclusions can you draw? What does this person do with their weekends? Who are their friends and associates? This will require speculation, but make sure it’s speculation grounded in observation and earlier inferences. 4. Report findings to client. Consider an approach and format that delivers the information in a way that will be useful to your client. Be sure to be mindful of connecting your inferences to your observations so they can appreciate your evidence. Also, they’d probably like to know how much confidence you have in your various conclusions. What do you know? What do you suspect? What’s merely possible? What’s wild speculation? 5. Compare notes with fellow investigators. What did others see that you didn’t? What did you see that they missed? Why do you think this happened? Are there inferences you disagree with? Where there’s disagreement, hash it out through discussion. Which conclusion seems more likely based on the evidence available?