In an incident investigation, what is a 'fact' vs a 'opinion'?

• A. A fact is a personal belief; an opinion is verifiable evidence.
• B. A fact is what someone says happened; an opinion is what happened.
• C. A fact is verifiable evidence; an opinion is a judgment; investigations should distinguish and document facts.
• D. Facts and opinions are the same.

Answer: (C)

Distinguishing facts from opinions in an incident investigation is essential. A fact is verifiable evidence—an observation or data point that can be confirmed by others, such as time, place, actions observed, or physical evidence. An opinion is a judgment about why something happened or what it means, which reflects interpretation and isn’t verifiable on its own. Investigations should document facts separately and clearly, then present conclusions or root‑cause analyses as opinions that are supported by the documented facts. For example, noting that a door was found unlocked at 9:15 a.m. and that a witness saw a person enter are facts; concluding that the breach occurred due to “carelessness by staff” is an opinion that requires supporting facts. The correct approach keeps evidence separate from interpretation rather than treating beliefs as facts or equating facts with opinions.