Electronic Discovery Reference Model

Having been in the software development industry for for the 25 years and therefore exposed to standards and best practices such as CMMI and Six Sigma, it is very comforting to know that the eDiscovery Industry as set forth on a path to define its own standards throught the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM).












Launched in May 2005, the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) Project was created to address the lack of standards and guidelines in the electronic discovery market - a problem identified in the 2003 and 2004 Socha-Gelbmann Electronic Discovery surveys as a major concern for vendors and consumers alike.

Given the fact that the EDRM provides the beginnings of a standard roadmap and best practices, this Blog will be reffering to the EDRM frequently.

The completed reference model provides a common, flexible and extensible framework for the development, selection, evaluation and use of electronic discovery products and services. The completed model was placed in the public domain in May 2006.

In May 2006, two new projects were launched, both outgrowths of the original EDRM project:

Launched on May 24, 2006, the EDRM Metrics project is intended to provide a standard approach and a generally accepted language for measuring the full range of electronic discovery activities.

Launched on May 25, 2006, the EDRM XML project will develop an XML schema to facilitate movement of electronic information from one step of the electronic discovery process to the next, one software program to the next, and one organization to the next.