The Self-Administered Interview is an investigative tool designed as preservation aide for witness memory at a critical incident. Drawing on the principles of Cognitive Interviewing, the SAI consists of five part written questionnaire that is given to witnesses at the scene of a incident to record their observations. The SAI is a significantly useful tool for police during the important early stages of the investigation when they are faced with numerous witnesses at a scene but have limited time and resources to carry out extensive interviews. The SAI also preserves the witnesses memory and acts a recall aide once the witness is interviewed later. Furthermore, witnesses may become subject to false memory resulting from memory decay or talking
