Trends and Technology - November 2011 Newsletter
Posted on Tue, Nov 22, 2011
In the investigations industry, prospective clients often tell us “We’ve already done an investigation on the internet - that’s all that should be out there...right?” Well, the Internet clearly maintains an extraordinary level of information as well as a multitude of data sites consisting of information and records compiled by government agencies, personal and professional associations, information brokers, etc. As the Internet remains a convenient place to begin most assignments, any honest licensed Private Investigator will acknowledge that many an investigation and/or research assignment begins “on-line”. In some cases, one succeeds in finding everything, factually speaking, that is needed relative to their topic of interest “on-line”. In other cases, information is found on the Internet on the issue of interest; however, the pertinent information is either unconfirmed, inaccurate, outdated or simply raw in format and as such, no factual conclusion can be drawn.
Consequently, discerning the quality, accuracy and reliability of the information becomes paramount. Information obtained through on-line research often produces viable leads, which can direct the researcher (or a licensed Private Investigator) toward the actual source of this information — be it a government agency or courthouse, a hospital or medical facility or any other type of institution or professional association.
An experienced licensed Private Investigator is often required to continue his/her research beyond the Internet and utilize Proprietary Computer Databases and/or Private Informational sources—but that is for another discussion.
Ultimately, obtaining authentic, factual records and/or documents, etc. is the key to confirming the information that is needed for yourself, or for the licensed Private Investigator who is reporting critical information to a Client. In either case, when this is done in a court-admissible format, a level of clarity is achieved that is rarely, if ever, challenged.
