Write from your own position
Note where you were and what you could actually see or hear. Describe the sequence in your own words and identify approximate times. If you arrived after the main event, say so. Do not fill missing moments from a news report or a group conversation. Another witness may have seen something different from a different location.
Avoid a shared script
Do not ask colleagues to copy an agreed version of events. Keep each person’s original account and use the approved institutional or legal process for any clarification. Distinguish a direct quotation you remember from a general description. If a correction is needed later, make it transparently rather than replacing the original account without explanation.
Protect people and the process
Keep witness contact details private and share them only through authorised channels. A public campaign does not need identifying witness statements to discuss the importance of doctor safety. Seek appropriate advice for a formal police or legal statement. This writing guide is for organising factual notes and cannot establish what a court will conclude.
Before sharing
Does the note clearly mark the difference between direct observation, recollection and information supplied by someone else?
Further reading
- Research article · Content analysis of Indian newspaper reports ↗Study authors · full text in PubMed Central · Source checked 2026-09-10
Source dates and country context matter. Read our editorial approach.