Investigative & Background Research
Research Directed Toward an Investigative Objective
A useful investigation often requires more than collecting records.
Information may need to be identified, compared, placed in context, connected across sources, or followed by additional investigative work before it becomes meaningful.
Cochran & Co. provides investigative and background research for individuals, attorneys, businesses, and other appropriate clients using public and lawfully accessible information sources relevant to an authorized investigative objective.
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Investigative Research
Research assignments begin with a question or objective rather than a generic search for everything that might exist about a person or business.
Depending on the assignment, research may involve information from sources such as:
- Court and public records
- Property records
- Business and corporate records
- Professional or occupational information
- Publicly available online information
- Historical address or contact information
- Records connecting individuals, businesses, property, or events
- Other lawful information sources relevant to the investigation
The sources and methods used depend on the purpose of the assignment and applicable access restrictions.
Background Research
Background-related investigations may be appropriate when a client has a legitimate need to better understand an individual's or entity's history, associations, records, or other relevant information.
The scope can be tailored to the actual question rather than relying solely on an automated database report.
Cochran & Co. evaluates information developed through research and, when appropriate, distinguishes between confirmed records, potentially matching information, conflicting information, and information that requires further verification.
A name match alone does not necessarily establish that a record belongs to the person being investigated.
Public Records & Source Verification
Records obtained from different sources can vary in reliability, currency, and context.
Cochran & Co. may compare information across sources and seek additional verification when appropriate to the assignment.
The existence of a record and the interpretation of what that record means are not always the same thing. Investigative reporting should accurately describe the information developed without overstating what a source establishes.
Asset-Related Research
When relevant to a lawful investigative objective, research may include publicly available or otherwise lawfully accessible information concerning:
- Real property
- Business ownership or interests
- Recorded transactions
- Liens, judgments, or other appropriate public-record information
- Other identifiable asset-related information relevant to the assignment
Private investigators do not have unrestricted access to private bank accounts, financial records, tax information, or other protected information.
Cochran & Co. does not obtain protected information through unlawful access, impersonation, pretexting that violates applicable law, or other prohibited means.
Background Information for Regulated Decisions
Not every background investigation is governed by the same rules.
Requests involving employment, housing, credit, insurance, or other regulated decisions may involve additional federal or state requirements, permissible-purpose restrictions, notices, authorizations, or procedures.
Cochran & Co. evaluates the intended use of requested background information before accepting an assignment and does not represent ordinary investigative research as a substitute for legally required consumer-reporting procedures when those requirements apply.
Research Can Lead to Further Investigation
Research is often one part of a larger assignment.
Information developed through records or other sources may identify a person to locate, a location to verify, an inconsistency requiring additional investigation, a witness to interview, or circumstances that make field investigation appropriate.
When additional investigative work appears useful, Cochran & Co. can discuss the potential next step with the client rather than automatically expanding the scope of the assignment.
Reliable Research Requires Appropriate Conclusions
Cochran & Co. distinguishes between what a source actually establishes and what may only be suggested by the available information.
Where information is uncertain, conflicting, outdated, or unverified, those limitations should remain visible in the investigative work.
The goal is not to produce the largest possible collection of information. It is to develop information relevant to the investigative objective and communicate it accurately.
Related Services
Discuss a Research Assignment
Explain what you are trying to determine, what information you already have, and how the resulting information is intended to be used.
Cochran & Co. can evaluate whether the requested research is appropriate, identify potential investigative approaches, and discuss scope, applicable rates, anticipated costs, and engagement requirements.
Submitting an inquiry does not guarantee case acceptance or that every requested item of information can lawfully or reliably be obtained.
Cochran & Co. | Private InvestigationsFacts for Informed Decisions