Bates numbering is a practice of sequentially stamping documents with identifying character strings to keep track of them. It is commonly used by doctors and legal professionals to manage large collections of documents related to a single case. The Bates automatic numerator was a patented device used for this procedure. Other offices may also use Bates numbering to organize document collections and files.
Bates numbering is a practice in which documents are stamped with identifying character strings sequentially to keep track of them. Only numbers may be used or a Bates alphanumeric numbering system may be applied. There is no set method to use this practice, and people can develop their own codes and strings for internal use. Bates numbered document collections are easier to manage, as people can easily identify out-of-order documents and other issues.
This term comes from a patented device, the Bates automatic numerator, once widely used for the Bates procedure. This machine was a stamp machine with a series of rollers that automatically advanced after each impression, allowing people to stamp documents as they were processed with sequential number codes. People continue to use Bates hand numbering stamps, and many computer programs offer this feature as well, creating a permanent record at the top or bottom of every document, whether it’s generated in the program or scanned from another source.
Doctors and legal professionals are more likely to use this technique. They often have large collections of documents related to a single case and need a way to keep track of them. If documents are lost or hidden, it could jeopardize medical or legal cases. With Bates numbering, it’s easy to tell when there’s a problem with a collection of documents. Also, the numbers can be used to create an index to make finding documents easier, as a list can be created with numerical references.
Some offices have internal codes that they use as a basis for Bates numbering to make it easier to trace cases. They might use a hyphenation system, where each document begins with a string of numbers and letters to identify the case, followed by an individual Bates number. A law firm might use a code such as 201112 to indicate that a case is the twelfth accepted by the firm in 12, followed by a Bates number to identify a specific document, such as 2011-201112, which would follow in sequence by 1234-201112 Both of these numbers could also be listed in an index with information on the contents of individual documents.
People other than doctors and lawyers may use Bates numbering and may find it useful for organizing document collections and files. A consistent coding system is needed, and people can use everything from label makers to stamps to numbered documents.
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