Usually within five business days
Research definition and plan
$600 to $1,200A focused session, review of the starting material, a sharper research question, source priorities, and a written scope for the work ahead.
Fees and engagements
What a commission costs.
A prospective client should be able to judge fit before writing. These bands are useful planning figures. The final proposal depends on the question, source environment, sensitivity, timing, and form of the work product.
Minimum commissioned project $1,500Indicative bands
Scope and price should make sense together.
Atlas does not bill by the number of search results or pages produced. The fee reflects the judgment, source work, verification, structure, and presentation required by the commission.
Usually one to two weeks
Focused research brief
$1,500 to $3,500A defined question answered through disciplined source research, concise analysis, useful citations, and a work product designed for a specific reader.
Usually three to six weeks
Structured research dossier
$4,000 to $9,000A broader source environment organized into a chronology, evidence map, workbook, memorandum, presentation, guide, or commissioned combination.
Defined after record review
Complex record or special project
$10,000 and aboveLarge records, several research questions, multilingual sources, sustained comparison, or coordinated work products built for consequential use.
Monthly scope and capacity agreed in advance
Ongoing Research Counsel
From $3,500 monthlyReserved capacity for clients who need continuing inquiry, source development, record maintenance, and professional work products across a changing project.
Before acceptance
A clear engagement begins before substantive material moves.
- 01Fit and conflicts
Atlas first reviews the question, intended use, deadline, and names needed for a reasonable conflict screen. Substance is not required at this stage.
- 02Scope and boundaries
A written proposal identifies deliverables, source standard, timing, fee, responsibilities, exclusions, and the person accountable for the final use.
- 03Confidentiality and handling
Confidentiality terms, access, transfer, retention, deletion, and any residency requirement are agreed before sensitive material is received.
- 04Commission and delivery
Work begins after acceptance and any required initial payment. Delivery includes the agreed work product and the source support defined in scope.
Commercial clarity
The band is guidance, not a quotation.
Urgency, incomplete records, specialist review, licensed sources, travel, or unusual security requirements can change the fee. Atlas identifies those conditions before commitment rather than adding them silently later.
Define the work
A concise brief is enough to begin.
State the question, deadline, audience, available material, intended work product, and sensitivity. Atlas will determine whether the commission fits and what it should cost.
Prepare a commission brief