Theoretical studies of electronic configurations of several lanthanide ions in the Racah–Slater approach were performed with the standard suite of codes by R.D. Cowan, including a fitting of energy parameters. Configuration interaction was considered explicitly in the low configurations and was processed by effective parameters for doubly-excited far configurations. Mean errors lower than 100 cm–1 were obtained. Systematic differences are noticed between radial integrals calculated by ab initio PHFR and the Pfit fitted values. The consistency of the scaling factors SF(P) = Pfit/PHFR and of the effective parameters for far configuration effects is shown. In an application to Tm II, the predicted transition probabilities compared well with line intensities and led to the finding of new energy levels. In Nd II, the configuration 4f5 is identified.