Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) – Processing

The electronic discovery reference model (EDRM) is a framework that outlines the stages involved in electronic discovery or e-discovery. One of these stages is Processing, which involves the preparation of electronic data for analysis and review.

During the Processing stage, data collected from various sources, such as email servers, hard drives, and cloud storage, is organised and prepared for review. This includes converting data from its native format to a more usable format, such as a searchable text format.

The following are some of the key activities that take place during the Processing stage of the EDRM:

Data Collection: In this stage, data is collected from various sources, such as email accounts, file servers, and cloud storage. This data is then transferred to a secure location for processing.
Data Filtering and Deduplication: During this step, irrelevant data is filtered out, and duplicate copies of data are identified and removed. This helps to reduce the volume of data that needs to be reviewed.
Data Conversion: Electronic data is often stored in various file formats, such as emails, documents, spreadsheets, and images. During the Processing stage, data is converted to a common format that can be searched and reviewed efficiently.
Data Indexing: Once the data is in a searchable format, it is indexed to enable faster and more accurate searches. This involves creating a database of all the words and phrases in the data, along with their location in the documents.
Quality Control: The final step in the Processing stage is to perform quality control checks to ensure that the data has been processed correctly. This involves verifying that all relevant data has been collected and processed, and that the data is accurate and complete.

Overall, the Processing stage of the EDRM is critical to the success of any e-discovery project. It ensures that data is properly prepared for review and analysis, which helps to reduce the time and cost involved in the later stages of the e-discovery process.