Synonyms and Phrases for Powerful Client Reports
Introduction
One of the keys to writing powerful client reports is using variation and descriptive words. Because client projects are limited in time, writing a professional sounding report in a shorter amount of time means more time available for successful research. These synonyms and phrases will help you achieve this. As you write your own reports, add to these lists, especially the phrases you are writing. Many of them can be used again and again, thus saving you time.
Phrases and Synonyms for Client Reports
Summary of Progress Made in the Report
Determined ...
Identified...
Verified...
Found...
Obtained...
Acquired...
Provided...
Searched...
Examined
Found...
Found indications of...
Found listings of ...
Confirmed the identity...
Located a copy of marriage record...
Successfully extended the family lines of...
Successfully provided additional details regarding John Smith and his life, including his occupations, physical descriptions, and naturalization record.
Beginning Paragraphs
The purpose of the research session was to identify....
The goal of this research was to extend the client’s paternal line according to recommendations made in the last project.
The client specifically requested ...
The client provided the name of John Smith’s father as ...
At the starting point in this research session, the documents...
According to the information from the client...
The first recommendation in the last project was to locate the death certificate for ...
As our research now moved to John Smith we needed to quickly document the client-provided information to provide the best possible genealogical research.
Evidence Analysis/Research Strategies
This provided evidence for the generational links between...
This means that the name of John’s father is almost certainly accurate and so this line now extends another generation.
These were both important details that need to be further analyzed to determine...
Because she lived in ... during the census, ... is the most logical place to search for her death.
This information in ____ strongly suggests that .....
It is important to remember that negative results still tell us much about the case. It helps ...
This provides very strong evidence when proving...
REASONABLY EXHAUSTIVE RESEARCH
A reasonably exhaustive genealogical search would include checking the...
... needs to be supported by evidence
To solidify the evidence or to corroborate
AGREEMENT IN THE RECORDS
This document gave additional credence to...
This record augments information already gleaned through...
These facts correspond to the information provided in....
Thus confirming that...
DISCREPANCIES IN THE RECORDS
To provide the best possible genealogical research, any inconsistency in the evidence needs to be resolved or explained.
There was one discrepancy which needs to be addressed.
The records for this generation have some variations on who John Smith’s mother was, though there are reasonable explanations as to why.
The records have some variations, though not significant ones.
NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE
There is not enough evidence yet to conclusively determine who the parents of John Smith are. It is anticipated that in future research, additional records can be located which will provide the necessary information.
SEEK ORIGINALS
Often when a record such as this one is indexed, they do not index all the information included in the original document, so an image of the original marriage record was sought.
FUTURE RESEARCH
This source provides several leads which should be pursued in future research.
There is simply not enough evidence yet to conclusively determine who John Smith's parents are. It is anticipated that in future research, additional records can be located which will provide the necessary information, including ...
Now that John Smith has been identified through his census and death records, it is import to continuing research his parents in the next session by locating the ....
In future research, _____ could create a complete and accurate picture of this family
NOTE: Now that you are getting the idea of saving phrases for future use, transfer this concept to writing about various record types. This is the largest section in my collection of phrases. Having these allows me to adapt them for each client report. Sometimes I refer to experts on a subject, such as the 1890 U.S. Census or women's dower rights, and I save those paragraphs with the footnotes so I can reuse them. Here are some shortened versions from the phrases I have saved to give you some ideas.
RECORD TYPES: CENSUS
One of the first sources to check in genealogical research is the census records because...
Differences in ages for an individual on the various census years can be explained by...
1890: The 1890 U.S. census is not available due to ...
Beginning in 1850, the U.S. census asked ...