The goal of research depends on your offers and acceptances with your client.  I've had historical research commissioned for the purpose of providing an author with historical property information so that he could publish a book on a local town.  Another client was a historical society seeking data on an old adobe dwelling.  Yet another was a property owner preparing to sell who heard a rumor that someone famous once owned her home.

 On the other hand, the many title chains that we pull often are done with the purpose of showing the condition of title (hopefully, a condition which is clear for the sake of the parties involved).  We don't promise that title is clear, since we don't control the condition of title, just report it.