When one conducts a managed document review it requires several steps. First, materials related to the topic or issue are collected from a variety of sources. Then documents are sorted for relevance. Analysis and reporting follow. Such a process might be undertaken by someone in the legal profession like a lawyer, a police officer or a private detective. Medical researchers require this process as do accountants or employees of the IRS.
Data used to be stored in bulging file folders, murder book three-ring binders, evidence boxes and PhD (pile it higher deeper). Today thanks to widespread availability of the Internet, computers and well developed software information is stored electronically for speedy organization, categorization and retrieval. This does not mean we can discard human skills like logic, critical thinking and analysis.
Today most data is managed by computer software programs such as: iBridge or a data management company like Kelly services. Computer software programs use a technique called automated document review (ADR).
If documents can be gathered via computer an in-house or off-site technician can use a software program like iBridges tailored to the unique area of law or criminal investigations or the banking industry or medical research. He can collect, sort, organize and tabulate data discarding unnecessary data so that the usable data is easier to manipulate and analyze.
Sometimes a hand data collection and analysis is necessary. If this is the case, the individual or group doing the review must be highly organized so as to cut down on inefficiencies as much as possible. In order to do that the review team must have a clear view of the intent of the search. For example documents may be being reviewed to discover information about a specific person; group; event; location; crime or legal documents.
Within the last decade a number of companies have emerged which specialize in managed data review. These are often specialists like TechLaw Solutions who have highly developed computer hardware, software and technicians who are experts at conducting searches in such specialized areas as medicine, forensics, law or banking. They can complete a search, organize and sort data, analyze it and present findings to the professionals who need this data to support their argument. Moreover, they can do it in a fraction of the time because this is their business.
There are several interrelated skills and tasks involved in managed document review. The person or group doing the review must first locate all the documents related to this person, event, location or item. Then through a hand search or a computer-assisted analysis he must sort the documents and organize them into a meaningful file, discarding those documents which are extraneous. Next, the documents need to be organized for easy and quick retrieval. Analysis of the materials brings the reviewer to conclusions.
