A new EDRM guide, Statistical Sampling Applied to Electronic Disovery, now is available for review and comment at edrm.net/11776.

The purpose of the guide is to provide guidance regarding the use of statistical sampling in e-discovery contexts. Most of the material is definitional and conceptual, and is intended for a broad audience. The later material and the accompanying spreadsheet provide additional information, particularly technical information, to people in e-discovery roles who become responsible for developing further expertise in this area.

We welcome comments on these standards. Comments can be posted at any of the EDRM Statistical Sampling pages, or sent to mail@edrm.net.

Thank you

Hold the date! The 2012-2013 EDRM mid-year meeting will be held in St. Paul, MN on Wednesday, October 17 and Thursday, October 18, 2012 at the Saint Paul Hotel.

The 2012-2013 EDRM kickoff meeting will be held in St. Paul, MN on Wednesday, May 16, and Thursday, May 17, 2012 at the Saint Paul Hotel. Whether you are a current EDRM participant, an EDRM alumnus, or have never participated in EDRM, we invite you to the kickoff meeting for the 2012-2013 EDRM year!

What: 2012-2013 EDRM kickoff meeting When: May 16-17, 2012 Where: The Saint Paul Hotel, St. Paul, MN

What…

As we do each year at this time, we will wrap up the previous EDRM year and start the new one. Help us:

• Celebrate the conclusion of the 2011-2012 EDRM projects:
  • Data Set
  • Evergreen
  • Information Management Reference Model
  • Jobs
  • Metrics
  • Model Code of Conduct
  • Search
  • Testing
  • XML
• Shape the course of the 2012-2013 EDRM projects

When…

Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm:

• Informal reception: Reconnect with current EDRM participants, meet and welcome new ones

Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 7:00 am – evening:

• 7:00 – 8:00 am: Registration & continental breakfast
• 8:00 am – 4:30 pm: Joint meetings and breakout sessions
• 6:30 pm: Reception & dinner

Thursday, May 17, 2012, 7:00 am – 1:00 pm:

• 7:00 – 8:00 am: Continental breakfast
• 8:00 am – 1:00 pm: Joint meetings and breakout sessions

Where & other logistics…

• Where: The Saint Paul Hotel, 350 Market Street, St. Paul, MN 55102 (http://www.stpaulhotel.com)
• Attire: Casual
• Food: Breakfasts, breaks, lunches & dinners provided – please let us know is you have any dietary restrictions
• Lodging: The Saint Paul Hotel – a block of rooms has been set aside at $174/night; to make reservations, call 1-800-292-9292 or 651-292-9292 and provide group number 641514 (Gelbmann & Associates)

Sponsors…

We are pleased to announce the following sponsors for the EDRM Kickoff Meeting:

	http://www.kiersted.com	Lunches Sponsor
	http://www.kcura.com	Welcome Session Sponsor
	http://www.ldiscovery.com	Break Sponsor

Participant fees & requirements…

For information about EDRM participant fees and requirements, go to edrm.net/113

To Attend…

If you plan on attending, contact us at mail@edrm.net.

We look forward to celebrating with you the completion of the 2011-2012 EDRM projects and working with you on the 2012-2013 projects!

Advancements to the Data Set, IGRM, Metrics, Model Code of Conduct and XML Projects

ST. PAUL, MN & NEW YORK – January 24, 2012 – The Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM), the leading standards organization for the e-discovery market, today provided formal updates from five of the EDRM projects. EDRM provides a common, flexible and extensible framework for the development, selection, evaluation and use of e-discovery products and services. The advancements in each of the following projects are designed to further standardize the principles and practices utilized in e-discovery management as follows:

• Data Set – The EDRM Enron Email Data Set v2 is now a public data set on Amazon Web Services. AWS hosts these public data sets at no charge to the community in order to enable faster innovation by researchers across a variety of disciplines and industries. For more information about AWS public data sets, go to aws.amazon.com/publicdatasets.
• Information Governance Reference Model (IGRM) – The IGRM project team and ARMA International recently published a jointly developed white paper entitled, How the Information Governance Reference Model (IGRM) Complements ARMA International’s Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principles (GARP). This white paper emphasizes both the importance of good governance to an organization, as well as the necessity of cross-functional collaboration in order to reduce legal risk and raise business performance. To view the ARMA-EDRM information governance white paper, click here, and to download a copy, click here.
• Metrics – The primary goal of the Metrics project has been to provide an effective means of measuring the time, money and volumes associated with e-discovery activities. The Metrics team has created and tested a database designed to capture and compile data gathered from actual case experience to identify trends and metrics associated with different phases of e-discovery. With the goal of capturing a wide range of data for accurate sampling, the Metrics team is calling for strong participation from the legal community at large. More information about the Metrics Project can be found here.
• Model Code of Conduct – EDRM has published the official Model Code of Conduct (MCoC) which sets forth ethical guidelines for business conduct between the providers of e-discovery services, software and other products, their clients and other providers. The MCoC is designed to promote predictability and stability in the legal industry for both providers and consumers of electronic discovery products and services. It reflects years of exhaustive dialogue and a wide array of viewpoints, including corporations, law firms and service providers. Corporations and service providers, including consultants, vendors, service bureaus, software companies and law firms, can voluntarily subscribe to the MCoC by registering on the EDRM website here.
• XML – EDRM announces the release of version 2.0 of the EDRM XML schema, a specification designed to reduce time and risk involved with data exchange between parties and systems. The XML 2.0 schema also provides a more flexible format for transferring additional information. This structure will allow for future extensions to the schema to include Productions, Review Data, Search Information, etc. The most significant addition is the field manifest at the top of the schema. The XML 2.0 schema also provides a more flexible format for transferring documents. To download the new schema, click here.

“The EDRM mission has always been to establish guidelines and industry best practices that make it easier and more cost effective for both the consumers and providers of electronic discovery products and services,” said both Tom Gelbmann and George Socha, co-founders of the EDRM. “The involvement and dedication to these projects by the EDRM members is a testament of the importance and need for greater standardization in the industry by all parties. We look forward to extending and growing this involvement in the year to come.”

More information on each of the EDRM projects and their materials is available at http://edrm.net.

About EDRM
Launched in May 2005, EDRM was created to address the lack of standards and guidelines in the e-discovery market – a problem identified in the 2003 and 2004 Socha-Gelbmann Electronic Discovery surveys as a major concern for vendors and consumers alike. The completed reference model provides a common, flexible and extensible framework for the development, selection, evaluation and use of e-discovery products and services. Expanding on the base defined with the Reference Model, EDRM now includes nine projects including the Information Governance Reference Model project. Since 2005, EDRM has comprised more than 230 organizations, including 150 service and software providers, 57 law firms, three industry groups and 22 corporations involved with e-discovery. Information about EDRM is available at http://www.edrm.net.

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Contacts:

White paper addresses principles of EDRM’s Information Governance Reference Model (IGRM) and ARMA International’s Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principles (GARP®)

December 20, 2011 – Overland Park, KS and St. Paul, MN – ARMA International and the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) announced today the publication of a jointly developed white paper entitled, How the Information Governance Reference Model (IGRM) Complements ARMA International’s Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principles (GARP). This white paper is the result of the collaboration between EDRM and ARMA International, which began this past September.

EDRM’s Information Governance Reference Model (IGRM) illustrates key responsibilities and interdependencies of information stakeholders – business, IT, RIM and legal – in organizations pursuing higher levels of information governance. The IGRM is a communication methodology that promotes cross-functional dialogue and collaboration among those stakeholder groups. It complements the metrics defined by ARMA International’s Information Governance Maturity Model (IGMM).

ARMA’s IGMM paints a comprehensive picture of what effective information governance should look like. It is based on the eight GARP® principles as well as a foundation of standards, best practices and legal/regulatory requirements. The IGMM goes beyond a mere statement of the principles by defining characteristics of various levels of recordkeeping programs. For each principle, the maturity model associates various characteristics that are typical for each of the five levels in the model.

Raising the Awareness of Information Governance Principles
Information governance is a business process. In order to lower risks and achieve greater efficiencies through process improvement, electronic discovery is increasingly becoming tightly integrated with an organization’s information governance policy, procedures and infrastructure. Both organizations have made considerable contributions to raise awareness of information governance issues. ARMA International has recognized the need by developing the GARP maturity model. EDRM has recognized the need by developing the IGRM, an entirely new reference model separate and distinct from the model developed specifically for electronic discovery.

“Collaboration has never been more important to an organization’s success,” says Marilyn Bier, CAE, executive director of ARMA International. “We’re excited to be a part of this white paper to help emphasize both the importance of good governance to an organization, as well as the necessity of cross-functional collaboration in order to reduce risk and raise business performance to the levels that stakeholders demand.”

“EDRM recognizes that effective electronic discovery management is based on effective information governance across all teams – IT, records management and legal,” said Tom Gelbmann, co-founder of the EDRM. “We are extremely pleased to be partnering with ARMA on this educational effort and helping raise the level of awareness on this important practice through this joint white paper.”

To go to the web version of the paper, click here, and to download a copy of the ARMA-EDRM information governance white paper, click here.

About ARMA International
ARMA International (www.arma.org) is a not-for-profit professional association and the authority on managing records and information. Formed in 1955, ARMA International is the oldest and largest association for the records and information management profession with a current international membership of nearly 10,000. It provides education, publications, and information on the efficient maintenance, retrieval, and preservation of vital information created in public and private organizations in all sectors of the economy. It also publishes the award-winning Information Management magazine.
The association also develops and publishes standards and guidelines related to records management. It was a key contributor to the international records management standard, ISO-15489. For more information, please visit http://www.arma.org/index.cfm

About EDRM
Launched in May 2005, the EDRM Project was created to address the lack of standards and guidelines in the e-discovery market – a problem identified in the 2003 and 2004 Socha-Gelbmann Electronic Discovery surveys as a major concern for vendors and consumers alike. The completed reference model provides a common, flexible and extensible framework for the development, selection, evaluation and use of e-discovery products and services. Expanding on the base defined with the Reference Model, the EDRM projects now include nine projects including the Information Governance Reference Model project. Over the past five years, the EDRM project has comprised more than 230 organizations, including 150 service and software providers, 57 law firms, three industry groups and 22 corporations involved with e-discovery. Information about EDRM is available at http://www.edrm.net.

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Contacts:

Tom Gelbmann
EDRM
tom@gelbmann.biz
(651) 483-0022

Jeff Randolph
ARMA International
media@armaintl.org
913.217.6016

EDRM Identification Standards are now available for review and comment, at edrm.net/10647.

The EDRM Identification Standards document is intended to outline standards for the identification of electronically stored information in discovery. The intent is for these standards to provide counsel with a guide for identification. This guide is not all inclusive but is designed to provide a baseline for the investigation.

We welcome comments on these standards. Comments can be posted at the EDRM Identification Standards page, edrm.net/10647, or sent to mail@edrm.net.

Hold the date! The 2012-2013 EDRM kickoff meeting will be held in St. Paul, MN on Wednesday, May 16 and Thursday, May 17, 2012 at the Saint Paul Hotel.

We are pleased to announce that starting November 1, 2011 we will be making advertising space available on the EDRM site. For additional details, go to edrm.net/advertising.

For prices or if you have questions, please contact us at mail@edrm.net.

Thank you,

George Socha and Tom Gelbmann

Version 2.0 of the EDRM XML schema is available on EDRM.net for public comments now through October 14, 2011. Public comments provide vital feedback to the EDRM XML team and ensure that the schema is truly useful and robust.

To comment, please go to http://www.edrm.net/projects/xml/2-0-schema.

Thank you!

EDRM announces the release of version 1.2 of the EDRM XML schema, a specification designed to reduce time and risk related to data exchange between parties and systems involved in electronic discovery activities.

PRLog (Press Release) – Sep 25, 2011 – St. Paul, MN – September 26, 2011– As part of EDRM’s mission to streamline e-discovery proceses, EDRM announces the release of version 1.2 of the EDRM XML schema, a specification designed to reduce time and risk involved with data exchange between parties and systems. This iterative release contains modest changes while preparing for the more significant 2.0 release in early 2012.

Features of EDRM XML 1.2
XML 1.2 adds child elements for the CustomBatchInfo and CustomDocumentInfo elements, allowing more flexibility when including custom information. It also adds a Fields element at the top of the load file detailing what the data load contains and clearly showing which fields are required in the load. This allows the recipient of the data to quickly get a full list of all fields used without needing to navigate the entire XML file. This optional Fields element is in preparation of the addition of a field manifest at the top of the load file in the upcoming 2.0 version of the schema.

Download version 1.2: http://www.edrm.net/projects/xml/1-2-schema

EDRM XML 2.0 Open for Comments
Version 2.0 of the EDRM XML schema is available on EDRM.net for public comments now through October 14, 2011. Public comments provide vital feedback to the EDRM XML team and ensure that the schema is truly useful and robust.

Download version 2.0: http://www.edrm.net/projects/xml/xml-2-0-schema

About EDRM
Launched in May 2005, the EDRM Project was created to address the lack of standards and guidelines in the e-discovery market – a problem identified in the 2003 and 2004 Socha-Gelbmann Electronic Discovery surveys as a major concern for vendors and consumers alike. The completed reference model provides a common, flexible and extensible framework for the development, selection, evaluation and use of e-discovery products and services. Expanding on the base defined with the Reference Model, the EDRM projects now include nine projects including the EDRM XML project. Over the past six years, the EDRM project has comprised more than 230 organizations, including 150 service and software providers, 57 law firms, three industry groups and 22 corporations involved with e-discovery. Information about EDRM is available at http://www.edrm.net.

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EDRM – the Electronic Discovery Reference Model – was created in May 2005 to address the lack of standards and guidelines in the electronic discovery (e-discovery) market.