how would respond to this student's post? Metadata plays a critical role in the eDiscovery process because it adds context, accuracy, and authenticity to electronic evidence. Metadata describes information about a file that the user does not normally see. This includes timestamps, authorship, file paths, system information, message routing, and many other data points. During an investigation, metadata shows how evidence was created, modified, stored, and transmitted. Without that context, it becomes harder to establish the full story behind a piece of digital evidence. The significance of metadata becomes clear when investigators need to prove authenticity. Metadata helps verify that a document or message is original and unaltered. It can show when a file was created, when it was changed, and which system performed the action. It can also link actions to specific individuals through account information or device identifiers. Courts rely on this supporting detail to determine whether the evidence can be trusted. The Sedona Conference states that metadata is often essential for demonstrating the chain of events surrounding electronic records and should be preserved whenever possible to maintain evidentiary value. Preserving metadata can bring challenges. Different systems store metadata in different formats, and exporting or collecting evidence can alter or strip metadata if not handled correctly. Simple actions like opening a file or copying it between systems can modify tim