What We Do

Two Kinds of Research. One Researcher.

PRS combines deep archival expertise with modern open-source intelligence — so whether your project lives in a 1960s microfilm reel or a live social media feed, we can dig it out.

Archival & Historical Research

Physical and digital access to non-digitized primary source collections across Washington's premier repositories and partner institutions nationwide.

  • On-site research at the National Archives, Library of Congress, Booth Family Center for Special Collections (Georgetown), Smithsonian Libraries, and DC Public Library's People's Archive
  • CIA FOIA collections — Cold War, Soviet intelligence, Rosenberg case
  • Washington Star Photograph Collection — 1.3 million photographs from the 1930s through 1981
  • Access to subscription databases exclusively available within Library of Congress walls — including ProQuest Historical Newspapers, Nexis Uni, America's Historical Newspapers, and American Periodicals Series Online
  • Microfilm and digital access to Russian-language press and historical American newspapers
  • Finding aids for non-digitized collections (photographs, manuscripts, newsreels)
  • Universal Newsreel Library — motion picture footage including historical Olympics
  • Remote Zoom research sessions at Duke's Rubenstein Library and other repositories
  • High-resolution digital scans of manuscripts, photographs, and documents
Archival Access

OSINT & Competitive Intelligence

Modern open-source intelligence tradecraft for corporate, legal, and policy clients — from entity profiling to geopolitical risk analysis, powered by AI/ML platforms.

  • Entity profiling, background research, and vetting reports
  • Influence network mapping and stakeholder analysis
  • Competitive intelligence — market participants, emerging players, risk profiles
  • Geopolitical and political risk assessment for investors and decision-makers
  • Russian-language OSINT — social media, press, official sources
  • AI-enabled social media analysis and digital footprint research
  • Due diligence backgrounders for legal, financial, and M&A contexts
Intelligence Services

Russian ↔ English Translation

Advanced Russian-language capability — including archival documents, declassified materials, press sources, and technical texts. Available as a standalone service or add-on to any research project.

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Why PRS

Research That's Built Different

01

You Work Directly With the Expert

Unlike larger firms, you won't be handed off to a junior associate. Micah handles every project personally, from scoping to final deliverable.

02

Rare D.C. Repository Access

On-site presence at the National Archives, Library of Congress, Georgetown's Booth Family Center for Special Collections, Smithsonian Libraries, and DC Public Library's People's Archive.

03

Russian-Language Depth

Boren Fellow (Kazakhstan) and Critical Language Scholarship recipient. Advanced Russian across archival, journalistic, and intelligence source types.

04

AI-Powered Methods

Trained on Palantir Foundry and Gotham, plus leading AI platforms. Modern tradecraft applied to both historical and live-source research problems.

05

Rigorous Academic Training

Master of Public Policy from the University of Maryland. Think tank experience at CNAS, WINEP, AEI, and the Institute for the Study of War sharpens every deliverable.

06

Flexible Engagements

From single-session archive digs to ongoing retainer engagements. Competitive rates that scale with project scope — no bureaucratic overhead.

Track Record

Past Clients & Research Projects

Six years of research for journalists, think tanks, technology firms, and academic institutions — across Cold War history, national security, and live intelligence problems.

Selected Engagements

The Washington Post

Open-source and archival research on Cold War espionage for Editorial Writer David Hoffman, using CIA FOIA archives at the National Archives.

John Hart — Freelance Writer, United Kingdom

Tracked down a rare 1968 photograph across multiple non-digitized Library of Congress collections, delivering the find with regular progress updates throughout.

Quineen — Poppy's Preservation of Art

Copyright research for European vintage posters, delivered as a detailed 12-page report completed ahead of schedule.

Duke University — Matlock Fellow-in-Residence

2019 grant recipient for Cold War arms control research at the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

Center for a New American Security (CNAS)

Russian-language OSINT research for the Russia Strategic Initiative — Kremlin communications, military doctrine, and influence operations.

Washington Institute for Near East Policy & AEI

Research internships supporting senior fellows producing policy briefs for U.S. government and international policymakers.

Research Topics & Subject Areas
Cold War Espionage Soviet Intelligence Operations US-Soviet Arms Control CIA FOIA Collections Kremlin Strategic Communications Russian Influence Operations Middle East Security Art & Copyright Research Basketball Desegregation Battle of Gettysburg Historical Photograph Research Newsreel Footage Geopolitical Risk Corporate Due Diligence Entity Profiling Competitive Intelligence
Institutions & Repositories
National Archives Library of Congress Georgetown Booth Family Center Smithsonian Libraries DC Public Library People's Archive JFK Library Duke Rubenstein Library Universal Newsreel Library CIA FOIA Reading Room
Client Feedback

What Clients Say

Sharp and penetrating. Accurate, punctual, and thoughtfully organized — exactly what you need when you're working against a deadline on sensitive archival material.
David E. Hoffman
Editorial Writer, The Washington Post
Highly professional. Micah successfully located a rare 1968 photograph that I had been hunting for years, and kept me updated with consistent progress reports throughout. Outstanding service.
John A. Hart
Freelance Writer, United Kingdom
Pickus Research Services delivered outstanding work on copyright research for European vintage posters. Micah's report was detailed, clear, and completed ahead of schedule. The 12-page document provided everything I needed, and I would happily work with them again.
Quineen
Poppy's Preservation of Art
Mr. Micah Pickus was hired as a proxy researcher to conduct archival work at the Library of Congress, focusing on existing photographs of the Trujillo family, particularly within the NY World-Telegram collection. He carried out the assignment with great thoroughness, demonstrating strong attention to detail and a clear understanding of the research objectives. Throughout the process, Micah maintained clear and effective communication, keeping us informed of his progress and offering useful suggestions that enhanced the scope and direction of the research. He delivered all materials on time and presented them in a highly organized and accessible manner. His professionalism, initiative, and efficiency made him a valuable contributor to our documentary development process.
Nayibe Tavares
Film Researcher, Dominican Republic
MP

Micah Pickus, MPP

Founder, Pickus Research Services

  • MPP, University of Maryland
  • BA, Brandeis University
  • David L. Boren Fellow — Kazakhstan
  • Critical Language Scholarship — Russian
  • Duke Matlock Fellow-in-Residence (2019)
  • Ex-Palantir Technologies
  • CNAS Russia Strategic Initiative
  • Washington Institute for Near East Policy
  • Russian (Advanced), Spanish, Hebrew
About

Research You Can Trust, Delivered by Someone Who Gets It Done

Pickus Research Services was founded on a simple premise: the best research comes from someone who genuinely loves the hunt. Since 2019, I've been doing exactly that — digging through declassified CIA files at the National Archives, tracking down rare photographs in the Library of Congress stacks, and applying modern AI-enabled intelligence tradecraft to live research problems for clients who need answers, not guesswork.

My background spans both the historical and the contemporary. On the archival side, I've supported a Washington Post correspondent on Cold War espionage research, worked as a Matlock Fellow-in-Residence at Duke University, and researched topics ranging from the Trujillo regime in the Dominican Republic to copyright research for European vintage posters. On the intelligence side, I built competitive analytics frameworks at Palantir Technologies, contributed Russian-language OSINT to CNAS's Russia Strategic Initiative, and delivered competitive intelligence for corporate clients.

I hold a Master of Public Policy from the University of Maryland with a focus on international security, and a BA in Humanities from Brandeis University. I'm a U.S. State Department Boren Fellow — completing intensive Russian-language study in Kazakhstan — and a Critical Language Scholarship recipient. My Russian is strong enough to read the archives, analyze the press, and catch what a machine translator misses.

Every PRS engagement is handled personally. You'll work with me directly, from the first conversation to the final report.

Work With Me
Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is archival research and why do I need someone in Washington, D.C. to do it?

Many of the most important primary source collections in American history — including CIA FOIA records, presidential papers, military records, and rare photograph and newsreel collections — are housed at the National Archives, Library of Congress, Georgetown's Booth Family Center for Special Collections, Smithsonian Libraries, and DC Public Library's People's Archive. Large portions of these collections are not digitized, meaning a physical visit is the only way to access them. Researchers at the Library of Congress also gain access to subscription databases — including ProQuest Historical Newspapers, Nexis Uni, and America's Historical Newspapers — that are not available remotely. PRS provides that on-site access, including same-day research, high-resolution scanning, and expert navigation of finding aids for complex collections.

What is OSINT and how is it different from traditional research?

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) refers to the collection, analysis, and synthesis of information from publicly available sources — including news media, social media, corporate filings, court records, government databases, and more. Unlike archival research, OSINT is typically used for real-time or recent research: entity profiling, competitive analysis, due diligence, or geopolitical risk assessment. PRS uses AI-enabled platforms and proven intelligence tradecraft to conduct OSINT at a professional level for commercial, legal, and policy clients.

Do you work with Russian-language sources?

Yes — this is one of PRS's core differentiators. Micah holds an advanced Russian language designation, is a U.S. State Department Boren Fellow who completed intensive Russian study in Kazakhstan, and has translated and analyzed Russian-language archival documents, press sources, social media, and intelligence materials for clients including CNAS. Russian-language research and translation are available as standalone services or as part of a larger engagement.

Who are your typical clients?

PRS serves a wide range of clients: documentary filmmakers and journalists needing archival footage or documents; historians and doctoral candidates seeking primary sources; lawyers requiring background research or document retrieval; corporations and financial institutions needing due diligence or competitive intelligence; and policy organizations requiring open-source analysis. If you need something found that isn't easy to find, PRS is built for that.

How does pricing work?

Rates vary based on project scope, turnaround requirements, and the type of research involved. PRS offers competitive pricing with no agency overhead — you're paying for the researcher's time, not a corporate margin. For archival projects, pricing typically depends on estimated research hours plus any document reproduction fees charged by the repository. For OSINT and intelligence engagements, PRS offers both project-based and retainer arrangements. Contact us for a free scoping conversation.

Can you do research remotely or do you only work in D.C.?

Both. Physical archival research requires on-site presence in Washington, D.C., and PRS provides that. OSINT, competitive intelligence, translation, and many database-driven research services can be conducted fully remotely and delivered to clients anywhere in the world. PRS also offers remote Zoom research sessions at partner repositories including Duke University's Rubenstein Library.

Get In Touch

Let's Talk About Your Project

Every research project starts with a conversation. Tell us what you're looking for — whether it's a declassified file, a competitive intelligence report, a background check, or a translation — and we'll respond within one business day.

Email: pickusresearch@gmail.com
Based in Washington, D.C. — serving clients globally.
Response within 1 business day.