I found this brief slide show informative: "Explaining the importance of a database lock in clinical research." I am no expert in clinical trials, but I do know that there are companies that are often hired for clinical data management. The ClinicalTrials.gov listing for BETonMACE lists PPD, Medidata Solutions and ICON plc. You can look up their websites to get an idea of the role these clinical data management companies play.

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