Establish Common Vernacular
A common vocabulary is important for clear and effective communication. The technical nature of eDiscovery as well as regional and organizational developments of vernacular make communication in eDiscovery difficult. Creating and maintaining a common language is critical to communication.
Time to Perform is 30 minutes
+ Why
I’ve seen it time and again, one team explaining how what they do is unique from what the other team is doing only to find out that the words they are using is the single differentiator.
“Oh we do a Direct Import, they are doing a Third Party Load”
Sounds like two different workflows, right? Except they are the exact same workflow. Here’s the thing, both are great descriptions and accurate. When I receive data with a load file I am going to directly load it into my review database - it is a Direct Import. When I receive data with a load file it was processed and produced by another (third) party - it is a Third Party Load. We are not here to pass judgement or be the arbiters of definitions. We are here to say that there needs to be a concerted effort placed on making sure a common language is used so that no confusion arises when it comes to discussing the actions being taken.
As a starting point, here is an ebook of 101 eDiscovery terms everyone should know.
You will undoubtedly need more than 101 words - I mean, props if you don’t - so I am sorry to say there is some work to be done on your end. It’s not a lot right now, but regular upkeep is the name of the game.