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Chapter 6 - Computer Concepts and Legal Applications

Components of Full Text Programs

Below are the primary components of full text programs:

  • Case File - A case file is a term that refers to the master file where all of the documents in a single case reside. A case file can be the name of a case, Smith vs. Jones, or the name of a specific legal area, Federal Rules of Court, Brief Bank, etc.
  • Document/Transcript - A document is a complete unit of information within a case file, such as depositions, witness interviews, court transcripts, motions, court rules, or procedures. Documents must first be copied to the computer’s hard drive and then added to a case file before they can be accessed.
  • Search Mode - Provides the capability, depending on the sophistication of the software, to search for individual words using Boolean search techniques, natural language, or a number of the other search features described below.
  • Database Integration - Some full text programs integrate a database module with the full text module. Generally, both modules can be searched simultaneously.
  • Voice Annotation - Some software programs enable you to insert voice annotations that other members of your litigation team listen to when reviewing the deposition or other full text material. 
  • Indexing - Indexing refers to the conversion by the computer of a document into a word index. The index is a list of words of the document that have been “indexed” according to which document they are in, page location, and line location. Indexing significantly speeds up subsequent searches of full text software, since the words have already been indexed and “located”. This makes a difference if one is searching a large number of documents or a large document. If the documents are not indexed, then the computer literally searches each line of a document for matches to your search query.
  • Portability - An important capability of full text software is its portability. By simply transferring your documents to a computer, you can take your entire case with you anywhere you go. Convenient print commands permit you to print reports that summarize your notes and other information for use with your trial notebook, further increasing its portability.
  • Image Integration - Some programs combine all three modules - full text, database, and image linking. The images can either be linked to a database record or to full text information.
  • Outliner - Some programs, like Summation™, have a built in outliner module, along with its database, imaging, and full text modules. Excerpts from the full text can be dragged and dropped into the outliner.
  • Attachments - Enable the user to attach for viewing other ASCII, word processing, image, video, or computer files to selected parts of the transcript. These materials can be viewed by executing a keystroke command or icon.
  • Display Mode - This is generally the main screen for full text programs. The screen on the right is the display mode for a deposition in Summation™. It is here that you view the full text of a document and any enhancements imbedded in the text of the document. Once you are in the display mode, you can move instantly to any page of the full text document through a variety of commands, such as moving down one page, skipping to a specific page number, or scrolling the screen through several lines of text. While in display mode, you can generally add enhancements to the text, i.e., notes, issue codes, cross-references, or markers.

Enhancements

Some programs enable one to add enhancements, like notes, cross-references, date references, issue codes, or markers within the full text document. Subsequent searches and reports can then be prepared based upon retrieval of these enhancements. You can imbed in the full text of a document, enhancements to summarize areas of interest and importance. These belie one of the most powerful features of full text programs because when using these enhancements, you can place any information you want anywhere in the full text, retrieving it later for quick reference or reports. In most programs, an enhancement will not actually become part of the full text, but “attached” to the text. Thus, while searching the document, you can exclude or include your enhancements in the search. The following is a detailed description of enhancements generally available in full text programs:

Note (Annotation) - A note is an extended comment imbedded within the full text of a document. Notes can contain dates, names, follow up codes, and so on. Use notes to make comments that are far too lengthy for issue codes. A note can be searched for keywords along with the full text.

Cross-reference - A cross-reference is a word or words imbedded within text that permit you to connect particular words or full text throughout the selected documents. It is used to clarify ambiguous relationships. For instance, if you want to cross-reference witness Jones with his title, vice?president, his first name, Frank, or the pronoun “him” everywhere they appear in a deposition, place a cross-reference code, such as Jones, wherever vice-president, Frank, or “him” occurs to create a cross-reference between the words. This link - between Jones, vice-president, Frank, and “him” - can then be searched and retrieved while viewing a full text document or for printed reports with the search request Jones.

Issue Code - An issue or factual code can be embedded in the full text document. For example, you could enter the issue code “Damages” in the full text to indicate a passage dealing with a financial loss. You can then search and retrieve all issue codes entitled Damages that were entered in the full text. Factual information in your full text documents located near the code Damages will be available for immediate on screen review or printing. If you use multiple issue codes, an issue code report can be generated in alphabetical order.

Marker - A marker is used to mark an entire page for future reference. You can use a marker to mark pages as a reference tag for important concepts or information. You can use it as a quick tag for admissions to use for summary judgment, or you could use it to mark testimony taken during a deposition or trial if real-rime reporting is being used.

Hypertext Links - A hypertext link is the capability to link together any two separate sources of digital information and then jump to the secondary source whenever necessary. If a witness talks about Exhibit 1, you can link and highlight the words Exhibit 1 and then immediately jump to an image of the exhibit.

 

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