About data models

A data model is a representational model of interconnected information that your administrator wants you to track or analyze. A data model consists of a set of entities, such as documents, collections, or custodians, and the connections between those entities. The connections between interrelated entities allow you to answer complex questions about the data within the data model.

You can use a data model to manage many of the internal processes of your organization. For example:

A data model for evidence and collection tracking can answer questions such as, “Which custodians do we still need to collect evidence from?”

A data model for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) review can answer questions such as, “Which documents have been produced for a particular FOIA request?”

A data model for case fact management can answer questions such as, “What is the timeline of facts for a case?”

A data model for project and task management can answer questions such as, “Which projects are running past their deadline?”

Sample data model

The following figure shows an example of a data model for collection tracking.

In this example, the data model includes entities for custodian, collection, evidence, and document. Each entity includes a list of fields that describe the properties of the entity. For example, the evidence entity includes entity fields for description, serial number, storage location, and date processed. The custodian entity is connected to the collection entity. The collection entity is connected to the evidence entity, and the evidence entity is connected to the document entity.