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4.4. Transcript retrieval software


Although it is possible to use a document control database simply to index
transcript, without any ability to search the full text of the transcript (see
Broderick (1990)), this is an inherently limited approach which is entirely
reliant on the quality of the indexing undertaken. Software which allows free
text retrieval is usually regarded as necessary for transcript which may represent
months of hearings, as it allows the whole transcript to be searched with
little, if any, loss of performance. A hybrid database / free text retrieval
program will allow any useful indexing to be added (See Chapter 2 at 2.1).


Uses and desirable features


Without being exhaustive, some of the desirable features of transcript
retrieval software are:

(i)     Standard free-text search capacity utilising boolean and proximity
        searches and truncation (stemming), with no significant delay in search
        performance over very large bodies of transcript.
   
(ii)    Automatic generation of lists of exhibits and lists of witnesses
        (assuming consistent transcript is available).
   
(iii)   Ability to link references to exhibits in transcript to images and/or
        document summaries of those exhibits.
   
(iv)    Ability to add index fields to mark text referring to issues,
        related events or persons, and to generate indexes or reports based on
        them.
   
(v)     Ability to add notes (annotations) to transcript, and to search those
        annotations.
   
(vi)    Facility to 'cut and paste' from transcript to word-processing
        software used to create documents which will quote transcript (eg
        judgments, addresses to jury).
   
(vii)   Highlighting of sections of transcript.
   
(viii)  An outline facility to allow grouping of items on hierarchical levels
        (eg case for each party (level 1), witness names (level 2),
        examinations of each witness (level 3) and exhibits (level 4): see
        WA Crown Law (1990) 3.2.3.2)).
   
(ix)    Ability to add 'hypertext-like' links between items of transcript or
        between transcript items and other text (eg glossaries).
   
(x)     Additional non-standard search features such as phonetic searching and
        relevance ranking of retrieved items.

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