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Eyewitness testimony is important to criminal investigations. Research has
found that remembering is a process that can be distorted by various
factors, such as how witnesses are interviewed. Further, prior research has 10
also found that written statements taken by the investigator are not
always accurate. The present study explored for what is believed the
first time whether interviewing skills are associated with both how much
correct verbal information is provided by witnesses and also the accuracy
of written statements, using a sample of 30 interviews conducted by 15
serving professional investigators. We found greater inaccuracies at each
of these two phases when interviewers were assessed as being less skilled,
when compared to interviews conducted by their more highly rated
counterparts. Interviewing skills thus appear important when interviewers
attempt to gain accurate information from witnesses, and when they 20
generate accurate written statements. Implications for policies and practice,
and for future research, are discussed.