How Does Concept Searching Work?

Concept searching is a powerful tool that can be used instead of traditional keyword searching when simply matching the exact keywords in your search is not good enough. This leads to a significant enhancement in your search results, thereby reducing the time and effort spent on locating relevant documents.

Moreover, concept searching is dynamic and iterative. It allows for the continuous refinement of search queries based on the findings from the review process. This means that as reviewers gain more insights into the case, they can adjust their concept search strategies accordingly to improve the accuracy and relevance of the search results over time.

For example, an email conversation that discusses the term “pool” may convey different meanings; it could be referring to a “swimming pool” or a “pool table”. A concept search tool can differentiate between these meanings based on the context in which “pool” is used in the document, e.g. if “pool” is mentioned alongside words like “swimming”, “exercise” or “laps”, the tool will understand it’s likely referring to the water sport. In contrast, if “pool” is used in context with “table”, “snooker” or “billiards”, it’s likely referring to the table game. This is the power of concept searching in eDisclosure and it can effectively provide more accurate and relevant search results.

However, if “pool” is used in the form of the metaphor, e.g. “We need to pool our resources for the upcoming project deadline”, then “pool” is used as a verb meaning “to combine” or “to gather” and may not be easy to identify using concept searching without further refinements. In this scenario, it is not best practice to use the single term “pool” when using concept searching and it would be better to use a sentence or additional text to improve the results.

Always review and validate the results of a concept search to ensure they meet your specific matter requirements. By doing so, you can leverage the full potential of concept searching to uncover relevant documents efficiently.