4 Basic eDiscovery Search Habits to Break

1) Improper deduping practices

When working with data filters within your eDiscovery search strategy, make sure that you only deduplicate your results AFTER running your keyword search. Failure to do this risks inadvertently excluding and missing items that fit your date range but were deduped against earlier copies of the same items outside of your target range.

2) Syntax matters

Even if you are using the same syntax, you still may not be getting the same results unless you are using the exact same tool and the data has been indexed the exact same way. Understanding the syntax you can or cannot use for each index or tool is key for creating a strong eDiscovery search strategy.

3) Out of date tools

Haven’t upgraded/updated your search tool lately? You aren’t alone. Ignoring the new and most current technology tools could be costing you money and efficiency. Ignoring updates means missing critical bug fixes and patches which reduces performance and increases vulnerability to cyber attack.

4) Lack of a static & dynamic search strategy

Search results are constantly changing, what you found yesterday may not be the same results that you see today. However completely abandoning where you left off may also cause you to miss some information. This is why it is crucial to understand the difference between a static and dynamic search strategy and how to incorporate both into your strategy. You use a dynamic search to catch all the results as data changes in the workplace while a static search gives you reference to a certain point in time. For a search to stay static, it’s best to use mass edits to tag the documents with a unique field.