ALCOA+
In Data & data management
Also known as: ALCOA, ALCOA principles
ALCOA+ is a memory aid for the qualities good trial data must have. The core letters stand for Attributable, Legible, Contemporaneous, Original, and Accurate. The "plus" adds Complete, Consistent, Enduring, and Available. Regulators use it as shorthand for data integrity expectations.
Example
Writing up a week of visits from memory on Friday breaks Contemporaneous. Overwriting an entry with correction fluid breaks Original and Legible. Both are classic inspection findings.
Common questions
- What does the plus in ALCOA+ stand for?
- Complete, Consistent, Enduring, and Available — four extra qualities added to the original five so the acronym covers the whole life of a record, not just the moment it is created.
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