Jackson & Schwab
Research standards

A conclusion should be traceable to the record.

These are the standards we aim to apply when screening a family line and when preparing a paid nationality research assessment.

Source hierarchy

Not every source deserves the same weight. We prefer records and authorities that can be independently checked.

Primary recordsCivil certificates, naturalization files, immigration records, registrations, passports, military or service files, and other contemporaneous records.
Official authorityLegislation, government citizenship guidance, official registers, and archive catalogues or finding aids.
Corroborating materialPublished genealogies, directories, newspapers, indexes, family papers, and reputable secondary research used with appropriate caution.
Family recollectionUseful as a lead, but not treated as proof where a record or official source can answer the question.

Citations and reproducibility

Where a paid assessment relies on a source that can be identified, the report should make that source findable again. Where a document is supplied by the client, the report should distinguish that from independently retrieved material.

Record reviewedIdentify what the record is, who it concerns, and the event or status it supports.
Authority appliedIdentify the current or historical rule set that makes the fact relevant.
Gap preservedDo not write around a missing naturalization date, uncertain parentage link, or unresolved historical-status question.

Uncertainty stays visible.

A preliminary screen is not a citizenship determination. A researched conclusion can still be conditional when a decisive record has not been obtained. Negative findings and conflicting evidence belong in the file rather than being discarded because they are inconvenient.

Scope and independence

Jackson & Schwab provides research, documentary strategy, and general informational support. We are not a government agency. Where regulated legal advice or representation is required, clients should use an appropriately authorized professional. References to archives, governments, or institutions do not imply sponsorship, partnership, or endorsement.

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