Working on an investigation? In this article, ProSearch discusses the top 6 things to consider with chat data when working on an investigation!

In this article for ALM’s Law.com titled (wait for it!) Top 6 Things to Consider with Chat Data When Working on an Investigation (written by Kristen Alfred and Odette Claridge and available here), the authors discuss the top 6 things to consider with chat data when working on an investigation (duh!). Here’s the first consideration:

Slang and Conversational Language

Unlike formal emails, chat messages are frequently informal and rife with slang. Organizations and attorneys need to reframe their traditional e-discovery email and edoc search terms mindset to a more conversational style of communication when working with chat data types. Search strategies should incorporate shorthand terms and phrases reflective of casual conversations, not always the formal language you would see in business files. Search terms run across email or other data types may need to be modified to accommodate chats; we would recommend data analytics with linguistics backgrounds or utilizing a generative AI engine by asking it to modify the formal terms to more conversational versions.

In addition, leveraging prebuilt keyword lists for topics such as harassment, fraud, or discrimination can broaden the scope of review. Tools like ChatGPT Enterprise, Copilot, or other AI resources can also assist with generational or topical slang lists.

So, what are the other 5 things to consider with chat data when working on an investigation? Find out here, it’s only one click! You have to click to investigate it! 😉

So, what do you think? Is your organization struggling with chat data in discovery? Please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

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