Your First Case

Choose two or three sources and a focused question, such as “Which dates do these records give for the same event, and where do they differ?” A photograph of a paper record, an exported file, and a browser capture can all contribute. Finish with a short finding, its supporting material, and the next investigative step.

Use material you have permission to collect and process. The locate, connected-account, and incident-review cases offer different starting points; follow the steps below with your own sources.

Start with a few files or notes, adding browser captures if the question calls for web research. You can add custom entity types and a larger case structure after you understand what the work needs.

• Case Access

  Use a nQuest account and a context where you have permission to create and edit a case.

• Desktop App

  Install nQuest for Windows or Mac, or try the Linux beta.

• Browser Tools for Web Research

  If you plan to capture web material, install the capture extension for Chrome, Firefox, or Edge on Windows or macOS, or for Chromium and Firefox on Linux.

• Case Answers

  Case questions require AI enabled on your account. Contact us for setup help if the query is unavailable.

1. Create the Case Around Your Question

   Select the context where you will work and choose New Case. Give the case a description that states the question and scope. Open the case file and unlock it for editing. If creation or editing controls are unavailable, check your permissions with the account administrator.

2. Bring in Your First Source

   For a document, photograph, or exported record, add the file using the file option in the add-node tray, or drag and drop it into the graph. For browser material, capture a page, passage, or frame, then choose Capture Node from the add-node controls to open the capture manager and add or copy it into the case.

3. Record the Context

   Open the document or capture and check its contents. Add a note explaining where the material came from and why it matters. Interview or field notes can also be a starting source. Repeat for the remaining material you need to answer your question.

4. Add Structure Where It Helps

   Use a note to record your initial observations. If a connection is central to the question, link the relevant items and describe the relationship. A few collected items are enough to begin; you can add entities and more structure as the need becomes clear.

5. Ask One Focused Question

   Use LLM Query in graph or list view. Ask which dates the collected records give for an event, where the accounts differ, or another question your material can answer. Read the answer and open relevant references to inspect the supporting material.

6. Write Your Finding

   Add a note with the finding, its supporting items, remaining questions, and the next investigative step. If two records give different dates, identify the discrepancy and the follow-up that would resolve it.

Return to the case using the list or in-case search. Open your finding and follow its supporting items. The sources, observations, and next question stay together for the next time you pick up the investigation.

With your finding complete, choose how to share it: give a reviewer access to the case or prepare an export for delivery.

• For a Reviewer Working in nQuest

  Give an authorized reviewer viewer access to inspect the case and its sources. Summary-viewer access provides case-library details without opening the underlying case file.

• For a File-Based Handoff

  The case owner exports the material and includes an editable Word report draft. Review the report and supporting files, then prepare the final set for your recipient.