Database General Information:
As time passes, less and less data will be physically stored away. Most document data will instead be digital Adobe PDF files, Microsoft Word files or images of documents. However, this article will be focusing on another way to store data digitally, in a database. While there are many databases in use today, our practice focuses on Microsoft SQL Server and Access databases, with the capability to help with other databases.
A Microsoft SQL Server database is a relational database management system (RDBMS) developed by Microsoft designed to store, retrieve, and manage large amounts of data efficiently. A RDBMS is a program used to create, update, and manage relational databases. Some of the most well-known RDBMSs include MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Microsoft SQL Server, and Oracle Database.
According to Oracle a relational database is a type of database that stores and provides access to data points that are related to one another. Relational databases are based on the relational model, an intuitive, straightforward way of representing data in tables. In a relational database, each row in the table is a record with a unique ID called the key. The columns of the table hold attributes of the data, and each record usually has a value for each attribute, making it easy to establish the relationships among data points. You can read more here: https://www.oracle.com/database/what-is-a-relational-database/
Databases and litigation discovery:
As part of the disclosure process, you may receive a database file. If you need assistance extracting specific information from it, WSI is here to help. Our experience with law firms ensures that we can retrieve and format the information you need in a clear and effective manner.
WSI has the necessary server hardware, database software licenses, report builder licenses, and programming expertise to work with small and large databases. Although most of our data reporting expertise comes from outside the legal discovery industry, data is data and all our experience is relevant in the world of legal discovery.
Data is stored in databases in a variety of ways. Systems that you may not associate with being a database often use database technology. Some examples are accounting, ERP (enterprise resource planning), MRP (manufacturing resource planning), and almost any program that stores information.
When requesting database data during the discovery process it is best to ask for a data dictionary. This is a document that explains what data is where in the database’s tables and what the relationships are between tables. More specifically, according to the U C Merced Library a Data Dictionary is a collection of names, definitions, and attributes about data elements that are being used or captured in a database, information system, or part of a research project. It describes the meanings and purposes of data elements within the context of a project, and provides guidance on interpretation, accepted meanings and representation. A data dictionary also provides metadata about data elements. The metadata included in a data dictionary can assist in defining the scope and characteristics of data elements, as well the rules for their usage and application. You can learn more from them about data dictionaries here: https://library.ucmerced.edu/data-dictionaries
It is wise to have a list of data you expect to be in the database and that you want to see. If you know how you want the data presented and can provide examples that will speed up the process lowering cost.
Contact WSI today for current rates and to find out how soon we can work on your database.