Run a Synthetic Document Search

Project Data > Analytics > Synthetic Documents > selected Synthetic Document > Search by Synthetic Document

A user who can view Synthetic Documents can use the content of a Synthetic Document as the basis of a search against a selected Project-Data based target view. Although it is typical that it is populated with content, it can also be empty, which can help you search for documents without text. To run this search, you must have saved the populated (or empty) Synthetic Document at least once.

Note: This operation requires an Analytic Index representation level for all of Project data, which your Administrator typically handles as part of Import.

For example, to find all documents that have some relation to a contract, you could add the contract itself to the Synthetic Document, and then use that Synthetic Document to search a view of Project Data. Since this operation assesses Document Similarity When you are working in Project Data, you can run a search for Document Similarity using one or more selected documents or an entire view as the basis of the search against a given target. The operation compares a calculated value for the content of the selected documents or a Synthetic Document to the calculated value of the target., the operation searches through each selected view of Project Data and compares the content in the Synthetic Document to each document in the target view for a specified level of similarity. It finds documents that have the specified amount of similarity with the Synthetic Document document.

Note: Synthetic Documents are most useful when you populate them with a block of text, not just a series of terms. A Synthetic Document containing only a single term from a document will not yield a very high similarity score. To perform a term search, use a Search such as Freeform Search or Advanced Search. Synthetic Documents are intended to hold more substantial content. When performing a Search by Synthetic Document operation, select the appropriate threshold value to control the level of similarity required for a match.

By assessing the entire content of a document against the Synthetic Document content, this type of Search can detect even the slightest amount of similarity (for example, if you specify a very low threshold value).

The Synthetic Document document and the degree to which the content is similar affects Synthetic Document operations.

Options for Target Selection

To help you select a view as a target for the operation, the following options help you filter the list of available Project Data-based views and/or hide views that have no documents:

• Filter (2+ chars)... – You can use the Filter text box at the top right to filter the list, shown in a tree-like structure. (The icon indicates that filtering is available.) If you have a large number of locations, using the Filter box enables you to pinpoint the items you want to work with based on a quick Filter term search containing two or more characters you enter. You can explicitly apply a filter by typing two or more characters in the text box and clicking Enter (the return key). If you type two or more characters in the text box, the software will automatically start to apply the filter for you. While filtering is in progress, you will see the icon. You can still refine your filtering while the appears. When filtering is complete, the text box changes to a yellow background color. For any applied filter, you can then clear the filter by removing the text in the box and clicking Enter, by removing the text from the box, or by clicking the that appears at the far right of the Filter box. Clearing a filter restores the list to its original state.
• Hide Empty Views – Hides any views that have no documents (that is, they are empty) from the list of available views.

Once you have the list of top-level nodes you expect to see based on your permissions, use the node controls (for example, and ) to open and close a top-level node to show or hide its associated views. Views that may be listed as targets, depending on your permissions, include the following:

Note: Double-clicking a target will select the target, close the dialog as if you clicked the OK button, and run the search.

• All of Project Data
• Under Project Data, a selection from one of the following nodes (which are opened by default):
  • Under Custodians, a Custodian view
  • Under MediaIDs, a MediaID view
  • Under Batches, a Batch view
  • Under Folders, a Folder view
  • Under Tags, a Tag view
• Under Searches > Saved Searches, a Saved Search
• Under Searches > Search History, a Search Result view (to see more searches in the list, click 10 more...)
• Under Workflows and a given Workflow, a given Step in the Workflow (which appears with the Step Number, followed by Term Query or Date Range Query and a portion of the query, up to 255 characters)

Note: Individual items appear with their respective icon and name. They will also reflect their appropriate archive state (if archived, then items appear grayed out). If applicable, they will also show their number of document in parentheses. Hovering over an archived item will temporarily change the appearance of the item to an enabled (unarchived) state.

• Under Searches > Saved Searches, a Saved Search
• Under Searches > Search History, a Search Result view (to see more searches in the list, click 10 more...)
• Under Workflows and a given Workflow, a given Step in the Workflow

Once you have selected a target, specify a threshold for the Search by Synthetic Document operation:

• Threshold — The Threshold Defines the level of similarity that a document must meet to be included in the result. The Threshold value represents a relative value in the range 0 to 99. That is, a document that meets a Threshold of 90 is more similar to the comparison criteria than a document that meets a Threshold of 80. To find any non-zero similarity, specify 0. is by default set to 20. In general, adjusting the threshold yields a different number of results. You can specify a threshold value in the range 0 to 99, where 0 detects a nonzero amount of similarity or commonality. To require a higher degree of similarity or commonality, select a higher value, such as 80 or 90; to require a moderate degree of similarity or commonality, select a value such as 40 or 50. In general, the lower the threshold, the more results you will see, since you are requiring less similarity or commonality. Specifying a higher threshold value yields a smaller number of results.

Once you are satisfied with your target selection and threshold value, click the appropriate action button:

• Search — Runs the Search by Synthetic Document operation using the selected target. (As an alternative, you can double-click a target, which selects the target, closes the dialog, and runs the search. A Work Basket task is generated for the Search and the Search Results folder of the tree is activated to show you the Search Results.
• Cancel — Cancels the operation and returns to the appropriate view.