text compare technology
Equivio>Compare is a software application that highlights the textual differences between two documents. Equivio>Compare has the ability to compare documents of any two file types – for example, a Microsoft Word version versus a PDF version of a document or a Microsoft Word version versus a scanned, OCR’ed paper document.
Using Text Compare with Near Duplicate Sets
This compare capability is used when reviewing documents that have been grouped into near-duplicate sets. For example, let's assume that there is a set of near-duplicates comprising 10 versions of a 50-page contract. The pivot document is identified, which is the most representative document of the near-duplicate set. The lawyer starts by reading the pivot document. Having read the pivot, the lawyer can decide whether it's necessary to continue reviewing the remaining 9 versions of the contract in our near-duplicate set.
Let's say that the lawyer decides that, in fact, the other nine versions do require review. However, it's not necessary to read the 50-page contract another nine times. Using Equivio>Compare, the lawyer can simply review the differences of each document vis-à-vis the pivot document. In our case, we might have a version which has only two words which are different. Obviously, it's a lot faster reviewing just these changes, rather than reading each contract from beginning to end. It's also a lot more effective because there is no chance of critical differences being missed.
Using Text Compare with Email Threads
Equivio>Compare also compares emails. The compare function is useful for highlighting the differences between two inclusives within an email thread. The two inclusives typically share a common ancestry; that is, both emails originate from the same original email thread, which at some point split into two sub-threads. Equivio>Compare identifies the common part of the chain, and the unique elements in both inclusives.
e.law has integrated the Equivio>Compare technology into our near duplicate and email threading solutions for a unique document review experience.