6 Tips for a Hassle-Free Data Transfer to a Digital Archive

Migrating data into an archive doesn’t have to be complex or overwhelming. With the right planning, support, and strategy, you can simplify the process, reduce risks, and ensure a smooth transition. Whether you’re planning a migration now or in the future, these tips will help streamline the process and ensure the integrity and accessibility of your data.

1. Plan Ahead

Before transferring any data, it’s important to plan your approach. Ideally, this planning should start before data collection, so you can prepare for archiving in a way that aligns with your end-of-trial requirements. Be sure to consider relevant regulations—such as the EU CTR, which mandates a 25-year retention period—to ensure the storage solution accommodates your needs.

2. Assess the Data

As part of the planning, assess your data’s size, format, and complexity. Key questions to ask:

– How large is the dataset (GB, TB, etc.)?

– How many documents are involved?

– How is it currently organised and how would you like it to be organised in the archive?

– What file formats are included?

This assessment helps you choose the right storage solution and prepare your data for transfer efficiently.

3. Audit the Data

Conduct a comprehensive data audit before migrating. This process is essential to confirm the accuracy, completeness, and validity of your data—key factors for maintaining long-term integrity and regulatory compliance. Additionally, auditing verifies that your metadata is accurate and complete, supporting alignment with ALCOA++ principles. This stage really is an ideal opportunity to organise, label, and document your data, making future searches and retrievals more efficient.

4. Test the Migration Process

Before the full migration, test the transfer process to identify any potential issues. If you’re using a third-party solution, test the upload process to confirm data is being transferred correctly. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) allows you to review how the migration process and the target solution perform in a real-world environment, providing you with peace of mind. It also allows you to identify any obstacles or further training that may be required.

5. Ensure Data Integrity

To preserve data integrity, generate checksums for each file before transfer. A checksum is a unique string of characters calculated from the file’s data. After the transfer, verify that the checksum hasn’t changed, indicating that the data hasn’t been altered or corrupted. Most third-party solutions handle this, but it’s worth checking.

EMA 2023 Guideline on computerised systems and electronic data in clinical trials.  6.10 Data Migration

“The validation of data migration should take into consideration the complexity of the task and any foreseen possibilities that may exist to verify the migrated data (e.g. checksum, case counts, quality control of records)”

6. Evaluate the Archive Post-Transfer

Once the data has been archived, conduct a post-transfer review, which serves as a quality check (QC) to ensure that all data has been transferred without alteration, remains accessible, and is easy to navigate. In the worst-case scenario, if there are inconsistencies across multiple datasets, the original files can be updated, and a full transfer can be re-executed. Alternatively, if only a few files need adjustment, they can be corrected and replaced within the archive.

In Summary

Migrating data to an archive doesn’t need to be overwhelming. By planning carefully and focusing on data accuracy, integrity, and compliance, you can ensure a smooth and efficient transfer. If you ever need assistance with your migration, our team of experts is here to help. Contact us today to learn more.

If you would like to learn more about transferring your data to a digital archive, our webinar recording is available here.