Why Information Verification Matters

By Jonathan Egelston

Finding information is often easy. Determining whether that information is accurate, current, and actually connected to the correct person or situation is considerably more difficult.

Search engines, public records, investigative databases, directories, archived websites, social media, and other sources can produce useful information. But a result appearing in a database does not automatically make it a verified fact.

Information Is Not the Same as Evidence

One of the most important distinctions in investigative research is the difference between finding information and verifying information.

A name may belong to multiple people. An address may be years out of date. A telephone number may have been reassigned. A database may repeat information originally obtained from another database rather than an independent source.

Several search results showing the same information therefore do not necessarily represent several independent confirmations.

Corroborating Information

Whenever possible, potentially important information should be compared against additional sources.

Depending on the circumstances, this may involve examining dates, locations, public records, historical addresses, professional information, property records, court records, business records, known associations, or other identifying details.

The objective is to determine whether different pieces of information reasonably support one another.

Confirmed Facts vs. Investigative Leads

Jonathan Egelston’s approach to investigative research emphasizes distinguishing between different levels of certainty.

A piece of information may be:

Confirmed information supported by reliable evidence.

A strong indication supported by several consistent pieces of information.

A potential lead that deserves additional investigation.

Unverified information that cannot presently be corroborated.

Making those distinctions prevents a possible connection from being presented as an established fact.

Dates and Context Matter

Information can also be accurate historically while being misleading when presented as current.

An address associated with someone several years ago does not necessarily establish where that person lives today. A previous business affiliation does not necessarily establish a current relationship. A court filing may document an allegation without establishing the ultimate outcome of the matter.

Research therefore requires attention not only to what a record says, but also to when it was created and what it actually establishes.

Why Careful Verification Matters

Inaccurate information can have significant consequences when investigations involve relationships, reputations, legal disputes, background research, or allegations of misconduct.

That is why responsible fact-finding should avoid beginning with a predetermined conclusion and then searching only for information that supports it.

The stronger approach is to gather relevant information, evaluate its reliability, identify inconsistencies, seek corroboration, and allow the available evidence to determine the conclusion.

For Jonathan Egelston, this principle is central to investigative research:

The goal is not simply to find information. The goal is to determine what can actually be supported by the facts.