A data map inventories systems and repositories with their data types, retention settings, custodians, geographic location, and export capabilities. It may be maintained as part of information governance or built for a specific matter.
It supports preservation scoping, collection planning, and burden arguments.
Alternative Names:
Data Inventory, ESI Data Map
Why it Matters?
An organization without a data map cannot credibly scope preservation, estimate collection cost, or argue that a source is not reasonably accessible, because each of those requires describing what exists. Building one during litigation is slower and more expensive than maintaining one, and the version built under deadline pressure is usually incomplete in ways that surface later.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
What does a data map contain?
Why does its absence matter?
