Issues with Metadata in eDiscovery

In the context of managed review for eDiscovery, metadata refers to the information about electronic documents that is stored within the document itself or in the file system. This information can include details such as the author, date of creation, date of modification, file size, and other attributes that describe the document.

During the managed review process, metadata is used to help organize and categorize documents, and to make them easier to search and review. For example, metadata can be used to identify documents that were created within a certain time frame, or that were authored by a particular individual. This can help reviewers to focus their efforts on the most relevant documents and to identify potentially relevant information more quickly.

Metadata can also be used to track the progress of the review process itself. For example, metadata can be used to record when a document was first reviewed, who reviewed it, and what actions were taken (such as tagging, coding, or redaction). This can help to ensure that all documents are reviewed thoroughly and consistently, and can provide an audit trail for quality control and compliance purposes.

Metadata plays a critical role in managed review for eDiscovery by providing a structured and searchable framework for organizing and reviewing large volumes of electronic documents. ediscovery

Metadata can be crucial in eDiscovery as it provides important information about a file's creation, modification, and storage. However, there can be several issues with metadata in eDiscovery:

1. Inconsistencies: Different types of software and devices may create metadata in different ways, leading to inconsistencies in the metadata that can make it difficult to interpret.
2. Incomplete data: Some metadata may be missing or incomplete, which can make it difficult to determine the context of a file or understand its origin.
3. Obsolete data: Metadata can become outdated, especially if it's not regularly updated. This can lead to incorrect assumptions about the file's history or relevance to a case.
4. Intentional manipulation: Metadata can be intentionally manipulated or altered, which can undermine its reliability as evidence.
5. Volume: The sheer volume of metadata can be overwhelming and require significant resources to collect, process, and analyze.

Overall, it's important to understand the limitations and potential issues with metadata in eDiscovery, and to use a combination of methods and tools to gather and analyze metadata effectively.