Method and apparatus for sociological data mining

Abstract

A processing system for retrieving interrelated documents is described. The system comprises a document repository for storing a plurality of documents, a metadata repository for storing a plurality of metadata elements to represent relations between the documents, and a sociological analysis engine to identify relationships between the documents using the metadata elements from the metadata repository.

1 . A processing system for creating metadata to identify interrelated documents, comprising: 
 a metadata repository for storing a plurality of metadata elements to represent relations between a plurality of documents;    a sociological analysis engine to identify relationships between the documents using the metadata elements from the metadata repository.    
   
   
       2 . The processing system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the metadata includes an actor.  
   
   
       3 . The processing system of  claim 2 , wherein the sociological analysis engine automatically resolves references to an actor who has more than one electronic identity.  
   
   
       4 . The processing system recited in  claim 2 , wherein the sociological analysis engine automatically resolves references to an actor who has more than one electronic personality.  
   
   
       5 . The processing system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the sociological analysis engine detects missing data by reference to other documents within the corpus.  
   
   
       6 . The processing system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the sociological analysis engine removes or otherwise makes unavailable documents or parts thereof deemed by the engine to be of a particular content type.  
   
   
       7 . The processing system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the sociological analysis engine categorizes a plurality of documents by iteratively attempting to match the documents to multiple ontology classes, both individually and in combination.  
   
   
       8 . The processing system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the sociological analysis engine determines the most likely correct term in a document that has been input using a process that is subject to error.  
   
   
       9 - 10 . (canceled)  
   
   
       11 . A method of enabling document production comprising: 
 a document repository for storing a plurality of documents;    a metadata repository for storing a plurality of metadata elements to represent relations between the a plurality of documents;    a sociological analysis engine to identify relationships between the documents using the metadata elements from the metadata repository; and    a redaction tool to remove or otherwise makes unavailable documents or parts thereof deemed by the engine to be of a particular content type.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the content type is attorney-client protected documents.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the redaction tool creates a copy of any document having partial redactions, and ensures that the redacted data cannot be accessed from the document copy.