Tips on Hiring a Researcher

Choosing a researcher can be quite a problem, especially from half way across the globe. Many will choose on the basis of a comprehensive web site. Others will accept the recommendation of friends, relatives or others. Still others will assess potential researchers on the basis of their credentials, while another group will make their decision based on cost.

Here at Bob O'Hara Public Record Searches we strive to meet all the criteria for a successful partnership between researcher and client.

Firstly, we maintain a web site which we believe is comprehensive, informative and an accurate guide to the services we provide. We invite you to explore it thoroughly.

Secondly, testimonials on our About Us page bear witness to the many satisfied clients who have used our services and are happy to recommend us.

Thirdly, our qualifications and background as researchers are clearly stated and we employ external experts in any field we are not personally qualified to research.

Fourthly, our fees are based on a fair economic return for time and expertise taken on research and are about the industry average for fees charged in London.

We often suggest that our client pays for a number of hours within a budget and gives us a list of priorities which we will pursue, thus ensuring that the top priorities get done first. This system may seem a bit cumbersome and impractical and maybe a touch unprofessional but many clients opt for it and we work quite happily.

There are two basic approaches to preparing a list of priorities.

  1. Our client may decide to follow one line of grandparents back through a few generations for as far as the budget will allow, then stop and do the same with the other line.
  2. The other approach is to take both lines back, but obviously this will cost more and we will only be able to pursue about half the number of generations that we would have managed by the first method within the same budget.

The best advice in hiring a researcher is to select one in the same way as you would choose any other professional - as always the cheapest may not be the best.

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