Look up online government records. While Hollywood portrays the work of detectives and investigative journalists as dramatic and exciting, much of their research involves slow, grueling searches for public records. A good researcher needs the patience of Job, not the slick moves of James Bond. You can find everything there from corporate and limited partnership documents to the professional licenses of doctors, dentists and acupuncturists. Check each state for different online information.
Commercial databases are pricey, but they can save a lot of time and money in the long run.
Professional investigators rely heavily on commercial information databases, which gather online public records for their in-house, proprietary databases. AutoTrack, which prepares a comprehensive report for clients, is popular among law-enforcement types. Lexis-Nexis is a favorite among librarians and corporate researchers. And Background-Us is owned by Kroll Associates, the famed private investigation firm. Commercial sites charge flat monthly rates of several hundred to several thousand dollars a month.