Investigative reports are written by private investigators for the purpose of providing the necessary information to their clients. These often serve as one of the primary bases for their overall performance and it’s therefore important for every private investigator not only to hone his sleuthing skills but his ability to wield a pen as well.

Here are a few tips to help you impress your clients with your investigative report.

Observe professional standards.
Follow common technical requirements for font styles, margins, document size, and make sure to submit your investigative report on time and properly and safely enclosed in a folder or envelope.

Avoid use of colloquial words as they have no place in formal writing. Remember to write objectively and using the third person’s point of view. This is, after all, an investigative report and not an autobiography or memoir.

Use outlines and drafts.
Cohesiveness and coherency are essential in investigative reports. These documents utilize formal writing and, thus, require you to relay the information in a clear sequence of events. An outline will help ensure that you do everything step by step. Drafts, on the other hand, help you flesh out your writing and find small errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Determine the objectives for your investigative report. They will help you stick as closely as possible to your outline and make your drafts less prone to mistakes.

Simplify.
Investigative reports are not legends or poems. They do not require flowery descriptions and complicated sentences. Rather, you need to be concise with your writing. Do your best to explain every issue briefly but clearly. Don’t skimp on detail but don’t include unnecessary or irrelevant information.

Take note of the essential parts.
An investigative report, regardless of the topic, has five essential parts. The introduction gives the reader the case’s background. Methods used in the investigation should also be identified and explained. Results should be stated, evaluated, and interpreted. Conclusions should be made and last but not the least, primary and secondary sources or references for information used in the report should be listed.

Edit and revise.
When you have the final draft ready, give it a rest for a day or two before editing it for possible last revisions. If it’s within your agreement to share your report with other people in the company, it wouldn’t hurt to have another person proofread your report.

Lastly, don’t forget to ask for feedback. Knowing where you did extremely well – or bad – can help improve the next investigative report you’re set to write.

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Technology has allowed the world to advance in many ways, changing not just how people live but how they do business as well. Private investigators are not exempt from the benefits of technology and if you want to do well in your chosen career, here’s a list of software programs you’ll have dire need of.

Private Investigation Background Software
Gone are the days when private investigators have to physically follow paper trails and visit various locations to conduct background checks. Thanks to various background software programs available in the market, PIs can now obtain the information they need with a just few mouse clicks.

Some programs will allow you to perform a single query from just one website and obtain results based on searches of various databases. Sources of information used by such software include but aren’t limited to customer surveys, business entity filings, court and voting records, and telephone directories.

Computer Monitoring Software
Electronic or IT investigation is a new but fast-growing field in private investigation. Although a huge amount of information is exchanged online and through various digital means everyday, a significant part of it can’t be easily accessed and it’s for this purpose private investigators have need for special software programs.

Some software programs allow private investigators to monitor activities performed by a computer. To make monitoring possible, a program may have to be downloaded or installed. Whether this shall be manually performed or not will be dependent on the software requirements.

Monitoring software programs are also available for screening activities in a business network, emails, and mobile phones.

Other Computer Software
Stealth software can be used to determine the identities of unauthorized computer users or those who have performed illegal action using your computer. Data recovery software is, on the other hand, used for recovering data from encrypted storage devices, whether online or not, or those saved in damaged hardware. Security software is also used by private investigators if they wish to help clients ensure their privacy or determine the identities and means in which security measures have been breached.

Online Search Software
In some cases, private detectives rely on the use of online search software programs. These usually require people to pay for membership fees in exchange of a specified period of unlimited access and use of its services. There are many of these offered online so it’s important to choose which of them deserve an investment of your time and money.

In specialized cases, private investigators may also have the need of mapping software for navigation, business software for keeping accounts, and image processing software for analyzing images.

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Promoting a new private investigator company is similar to marketing any new business. To capture your market’s attention, you need to show them immediately that you’re different from the rest and that what you’re offering is better than the competition.

A Great Name
Sure, law and accounting firms do well even with the surnames of the founding partners as the name of the business and you can always borrow a page from them and do the same thing. But if you do that, you won’t be maximizing the potential of a well-chosen name.

Choose a name that’s not just catchy but able to effectively summarize what your business is all about as well. Do that and your entry to the market will generate a bigger splash for no extra cost! And if you’ve got enough creative juice left, you can work on creating an equally impressive logo to go with your business name.

24/7 Accessibility
Private investigator firms are not exactly an ordinary business so why limit your business to ordinary working hours? Distinguish yourself from the rest by not just being accessible but by offering round the clock service.

Start with creating a website. Use your business name as your domain name and make sure you’ve adequate bandwidth and web space to accommodate your website’s needs. Display your contact information in prominent spots. Make sure you give prospective clients all the means to contact you, from email addresses to mobile phone number to your business address.

Privacy and Confidentiality
These are the two things clients are sure to desire from a private investigation firm, and it’s something you should clearly offer from the word go. If possible, offer details as to how you’ve ensured that every conversation you have with a prospective, current, or former client will never be disclosed to the public.

Ethical and Moral Procedures
Many prospective clients are wary of hiring private investigators simply because they’re concerned of the possible ethical consequences that may arise from their decision. Put their minds at rest – and add new clients to your list as well – by assuring them that all your investigators are trained to only employ ethical and morally correct action.

Let them know that it’s also part of your business’s SOP to keep clients informed of every little progress in the case as well as requiring a client’s approval prior to making any substantial move in the investigation.

Develop these competitive advantages for your private investigator company, create a press release about them, and you might be surprised at how quickly success will arrive at your doorstep.

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If you’re being sued for personal injury and yet something smells incredibly fishy about the claimant, the most effective way of discovering the truth is by hiring a private investigator.

Ask for references.
Call on your loved ones, friends, and colleagues for help. Rather than relying outright on the services of unknown private investigators, try looking first for detectives who have already been tried and tested by people you trust. Be careful in choosing which people to ask for help if you wish your need for a personal injury private investigator to remain a secret.

Verify qualifications.
An ideal private investigator for personal injury claims is one who’s licensed and with considerable experience and skills in the specified field. For a private investigator to prove his qualifications, he’ll probably have to submit his license details and a summary of his previous clients and work history. But it doesn’t stop there.

To be on the safe side, make sure to double-check the legitimacy and validity of the investigator’s qualifications. You could be dealing with a wolf in sheep’s disguise for all you know and you’d be in worse trouble than before.

Conduct an interview.
Private investigators have no exclusive rights to interview. As a potential client, you’re certainly within your rights to interview him as well. Ask him any question you like. Your interview may not yield the exact kind of information you need but it will at least help you get to know the other person better. Hopefully, it would be enough to help you decide if you wish to hire him or not.

Check what the media has to say.
The media is not always objective so it’s important to take everything you read, see, or hear with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, there’s rarely smoke without fire so if the media found anything newsworthy about the PI you’re considering hiring, it won’t do you harm to dig for more facts.

Aim for expertise and specialized skills.
Personal injury investigations almost always require surveillance and, to a certain extent, undercover operations as well. You must therefore ensure that the private investigator you’ll hire is adept at both as this will make it easier for him to verify if the personal injuries being claimed against you are valid.

Consider ethical concerns.
Last but not the least, do make sure that the private investigator is strict in complying with the law and observing moral practices in the course of his investigation. This way, if the action you’ve taken comes to light, you know you’re on safe grounds because the PI you’ve hired can give all the necessary evidence to prove that he hasn’t violated any law on your behalf.

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The process of hiring private investigators is tricky for most first-timers, especially if it’s a family concern and you don’t wish for the general public to be aware of certain matters. If you’re in need of the services of a private investigator, here are a few tips to help you scout out the best.

Choose insured private investigators.
Trust between an investigator and client is always essential, but there’s also nothing wrong with playing it safe. Rather than make yourself vulnerable to any claims in the event that something happens to your investigator in the course of his investigation, you can simply hire an insured P.I. and get rid of such risks immediately.

Stick to licensed private investigators.
Although not all states require private investigators to obtain licenses prior to offering their services, you can at least be assured that those who are licensed have certifiable knowledge, skills, and abilities for their chosen profession. Those with licenses are also bound to be more ethical in their work; you won’t have to worry about your investigator crossing the line and making you liable for any criminal offense.

Prioritize well-established companies.
More years in the business are always good. They’re not prone to make mistakes that novices and amateurs often commit. The years they’ve devoted to their practice also gives them the kind of experience and expertise that new private investigation firms are still trying to achieve.

Well-established companies also have greater resources. In the course of their business, they’re sure to have accumulated a greater number of contacts and have built far stable relationships with them. As such, a veteran private investigator can get you the kind of information that’s normally withheld from most people.

Check their background.
You don’t have to be a P.I. yourself to conduct a background check. When hiring a private investigator, you need to view them as potential employees because that’s what they’ll basically function as if you do avail of their services. That gives you the right to inquire about their employment history. How many clients have they transacted with? Have all their investigations met with success? Can they provide you with references? What do other people have to say about the firm? How do agencies like the Better Business Bureau rate them?

Last but not the least, consult with concerned family members and ask for their opinion. A private investigation will proceed more smoothly if it has the cooperation of everyone concerned, and you can only obtain that if your loved ones concur with your decision.

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Computer forensics is still a new field, and the laws aren’t quite that clear yet on which acts are considered legal and rightful. This has created quite a dilemma for the RIAA, whose fight against piracy involves unlicensed private investigators doing computer forensics work to discover the identities of suspected file-sharers.

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth has recently filed two lawsuits against MediaSentry Inc., an unlicensed private investigation that often works for the Recording Industry Association of America or RIAA in the organization’s continued battle against copyright infringement. The first complaint was filed by a student from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor while the subsequent complaint was from Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant.

MediaSentry is under SafeNet Incorporated, a firm that supposedly offers online content distribution and protection services to large entertainment and media companies. Both lawsuits filed against MediaSentry focused on the firm’s lack of license to operate as a private investigation company.

According to the Assistant General of Central Michigan University, the school was mainly concerned about how some of its students could have been subjected to “potentially illegal” investigations conducted by the said company. The university’s director of media relations, Steve Smith, further explains that the university only wishes to ensure that all information gathered against its students had been obtained through legal means and by a legally licensed establishment. It is also their hope that the RIAA would only engage the service of a legally licensed establishment for obtaining such information in the future, consequently ensuring that all subpoenas served have been properly obtained.

In the first complaint, the unnamed plaintiff described the investigation he had been subjected to by MediaSentry as “intrusive and illegal”. The nature of activities and the extent to which the company had performed its investigation were detailed in the lawsuit, with the student further claiming that all those actions had been taken to determine his identity, his online activities, and the nature and content of files in his computer. The letter concluded that only a private investigator was qualified to perform such activities, and for that, a license to operate as private investigator was required from MediaSentry.

These lawsuits can considerably weaken the standing of the RIAA in its copyright infringement cases. If any of the lawsuits goes against them, they may not be permitted to use the evidence gathered by MediaSentry in court. Worse, the results of these lawsuits could influence the outcome of other similar cases that MediaSentry, and to a certain extent the RIAA as well, is facing in other states like North Carolina, Oregon, and Massachusetts.

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Before hiring a private investigator to find a lost or missing loved one, consider performing a basic search operation on your own first. If you get the results you want, great, but if you don’t, whatever data you come up with will still be of use to the private investigator you’ll hire to help you out.

Skip Tracing
Anyone can learn the basics of skip tracing. The skills for skip tracing are simple and time and diligence is all you need to hone them. Skip tracing is not only used for finding missing people, whether they’re living or deceased. Skip tracing can also be used to unearth falsified accounts and recover lost or stolen money and other assets.

Skip Categories
“Skip” is the colloquial term used for the object of your search. In skip tracing, the first thing you have to do is categorize the skip by determining the most probable reason for his absence. There are two kinds of skips: intentional and unintentional.

Unintentional Skips
There are often unfortunate reasons behind unintentional skips. An unintentional skip could be the result of kidnapping or a serious accident. These people had no particular reason to disappear and because of that, they are more easily traceable as they won’t have any motive or desire to cover their tracks and conceal their location.

Intentional Skip
An intentional skip is someone who has deliberately gone missing for whatever reason. This person will, if he’s knowledgeable and skilled enough, do whatever he can to cover his tracks and prevent other people from following him.

In most cases, intentional skips are running away from the law. They may not be willing to take the leap and change their identity entirely, but they’re determined enough to stay missing to the extent of removing any means for other people to keep in touch with them.

If you are after an intentional skip, the most you can do is be constantly alert for clues and hope that the person will accidentally give you a lead.

Aliases
Think of names that the person might use as his alias. Married names may also be changed to a person’s maiden name or vice versa.

Last Known, Last Seen
Make inquiries in the person’s last known address and workplace.

Identifier
These are pertinent information that distinguishes the intentional skip from everyone else. This includes but isn’t limited to the person’s date of birth, social security number, and drivers license number.

If none of your efforts yield results then it’s time to hire a private investigator and find the person you’re looking for before anything untoward may happen.

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Hiring a private investigator is not merely a matter of finding the most popular or affordable investigator in your area. If you are in need for such services because of something you care deeply about, there are other equally important factors you should also take into consideration.

License
Narrow your list to licensed private investigators. Those with licenses tend to have more experience and credentials. A permit to operate as private investigator also allows them greater freedom in their work as well as greater access to various resources, two things that unlicensed private investigators won’t be able to provide.

Insurance
This may be more of a safety precaution than a necessity, but it’s truly better to hire an insured private investigator than one who isn’t. In the event that something does happen, you can at least feel assured he will not hold you liable.

Past Clients
The process of looking for a private investigator is similar to what you would normally do when you’re looking for a suitable applicant. For one thing, you should ask about the previous cases or investigations they’ve completed. Who had they worked for? How did they fare? Would they be able to supply references you can verify?

Experience
Experience comes in various forms, and it’s important that you hire a private investigator with the exact kind of experience you need. The number of years he has dedicated to the business is important, but it isn’t all that matters. You want to be more specific: exactly how many cases has he handled that are similar to or exactly the same with yours? How had he fared in those cases?

This is also where specialization enters the picture. Specialization is something you can only build with time and experience. Look for a private investigator with knowledge and skills pertinent to your case. If you are searching for a corporate private investigator, look for one who may have also worked previously as a corporate manager or at least one who’s greatly familiar with the ins and outs of doing business.

Time Frame
Last but not the least, always ask for a time frame! Being able to give an estimate time of completion as well as letting you know the kind of results you can expect to receive in that period is what separates the amateurs from the pros. And as hiring private investigators can be quite costly – they can charge you from $65 to $200 per hour – it’s better to know approximately how much you’ll have to pay them on the outset.

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Private investigators are not only hired when there is murder or embezzlement involved. Sometimes, the reason can be much closer to home, and it is in these instances that the services of a domestic private investigator are required.

Cheating Spouses and Infidelity
What people see in TV is indeed true. Private investigators can be hired to find out whether a client’s partner – regardless of the legal status of your relationship – is faithful. This can be proven in various ways, and private investigators usually leave it to the client to determine how they wish to obtain results. The target may simply be subjected to surveillance for a specific period of time. A honey trap may also be provided if necessary, allowing for carefully orchestrated interaction between an undercover agent and the target.

Slander and Libel
There is truly no price for a person’s good name and victims of slander and libel can make use of a domestic private investigator’s services to clear up their names and restore their standing in society. A private investigator will not only determine the person responsible for defaming the client’s character but he’ll also provide substantial evidence against the latter in the event that the client desires to take things to court.

Divorce
Ending a marriage is never easy. It is difficult for all parties involved in various ways, and it becomes especially troublesome when the partners have not separated amicably. Clients who wish to receive a fair settlement from their divorce may hire a domestic private investigator to oversee procedures. Private investigators will leave no stones unturned to ensure that their clients can claim what is rightfully due to them in the case of property and custody.

Custody
Speaking of custodies, domestic private investigators are also often hired by clients wishing to acquire certain data that would make them more favorable in the eyes of the law. In most cases, private investigators will work to come up with evidence that would prove the greater suitability of the client as a parent and consequently, more deserving of custody.

Abuse
Lastly, domestic private investigators may also be employed to determine whether any form of domestic abuse had or has taken place. This is especially important if the client wishes to provide protection for a party he has no legal claim to. This kind of investigation may also be critical when the client has to go against an establishment, like a school or a nursing home – establishments which they won’t just gain constant and immediate access to for any reason.

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Having a specialization in your chosen career never hurts one’s prospects. If it’s your desire to become a private investigator, selecting a field to excel could make it easier for you to build a name for yourself. If you a degree or previous background in business, you might want to consider focusing your efforts on corporate investigations.

What You Can Do as a Corporate Investigator
A corporate investigator might not lead as an exciting or dangerous life as investigators do in other fields, but it’s still a worthy endeavor. In corporate investigations, you are still seeking for the truth and upholding what’s right.

Employee Termination
Some companies hire a private investigator if they wish to unearth pertinent data that would allow them to rightfully and legally terminate the employment of a particular individual.

Finding such data could be achieved in various ways. Research and background check will let you know if there is any incident in the employee’s previous or present life that could make him liable for termination. Interviews with key individuals would also help and if these prove to be inadequate, you can also work undercover to find out the truth from sources much closer to the object of your investigation.

Pre-Employment Investigation
Background checks are fast becoming a routine precaution taken by companies. It lessens the chances for them of hiring the wrong person for the job. As corporate private investigator, it’s your job to verify all credentials submitted by a job applicant. It is also your job to discover if there is any information that the applicant has withheld, deliberately or not, and one that may affect the applicant’s suitability to the job.

Loss Prevention and Fraud
Private investigators are commonly hired by companies to help them solve and prevent accidental losses or those caused by fraud, embezzlement, theft, or other criminal violation. If such losses do exist, it’s your job to determine whether the losses were incurred due to an internal – employees – or external – customers, distributors, burglars – source. you may also be asked to help the company formulate effective policies for managing and protecting the company’s intellectual property and other assets.

Competitive Intelligence
A company can also hire a private investigator simply to determine what its competitors are up to next. They can also provide the company with a counter espionage strategy if the company is already an object of surveillance.

Employee and Management Awareness Training
Lastly, private investigators may also be hired just to provide proper training for employees and managers alike. Such training will give them the knowledge and skills they need to keep the organization’s trade secrets safe from both internal and external threats.

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