If the institution’s annual report is the primary vehicle for presenting monitoring results, the process of data-gathering should be on going. Waiting until it is time to draft an annual report to start to collect and analyse data will result in either delays in the report or sub standard analysis. An institution may also decide to produce separate special reports on the human rights situation.
National human rights institutions should in all cases take great care in presenting data from secondary sources. Sources should be attributed, both for reasons of research integrity and generally accepted citation practices, but also to make it clear that the institution is citing the material, not vouching for its accuracy. The data should not be presented in conclusive terms unless they have been researched and verified preferably with reference to other credible sources and authorities.