Extract from Helen Geib’s article “Purpose, Process and Practicality: eDiscovery Identification Part 1”
“Identification” in eDiscovery is the process of learning about the client’s electronically stored information (ESI) in order to locate, preserve and collect discoverable data. The identification stage is the foundation of the entire eDiscovery project.
The aim of eDiscovery identification is to learn:
- WHAT data sources and data types are potentially relevant;
- WHERE the discoverable ESI is stored;
- WHO created it and controls it;
- WHEN it was created;
- HOW MUCH potentially relevant data exists.
This post is part one of a three part series on eDiscovery identification essentials. It provides an overview of the purpose, process and practical considerations of identification within the overall eDiscovery project. For a related primer on the main sources and types of ESI, see my article Know Your ESI, Categorically Speaking.
