Best Practices When Outsourcing Secondary Data Research Services for Data Managers in Clinical Research Organisations
Published on: 19 Jan 2026
Last updated: 19 Jan 2026
Listen to audio summary of this article
Clinical Research Organisation (CRO) data managers juggle massive trial datasets, regulatory deadlines, and subscriber demands for live intelligence. Secondary data research—enriching primary data with trial registries, publications, and pipeline insights—becomes overwhelming internally.
Outsourcing to specialist partners like Ascentrik Research delivers custom, fresh datasets without hiring. This guide shares proven best practices to maximise ROI, based on CRO successes and our partnership model.
Why CROs Need Secondary Data Research Outsourcing
CROs manage complex trials but lack bandwidth for niche secondary intelligence: competitive pipelines, or global registry aggregation. Outsourcing provides:
Scalability for peak loads (Phase III data enrichment)
Expertise in therapeutic niches
Freshness via ground-up sourcing (no stale databases)
Cost savings – pay for research vs. in-house full-time hires
Data managers report 40% faster pipelines and 30% query reduction through smart outsourcing. Ascentrik's full-time research teams extend your capacity, fueling live products seamlessly.
Best Practice 1: Select Partners, Not Aggregators
Avoid volume-focused aggregators. Choose research partners with:
Human-driven expertise – domain analysts for clinical nuances
No-stored-databases – fresh builds per project
Full-time capacity – seamless team extension
Proven track record – client testimonials across pharma/CROs
Best Practice 2: Prioritize Freshness and Replacement Guarantees
Live CRO databases die without fresh data. Demand:
Ground-up sourcing – unique to each client
Data replacement – fix inaccuracies at no extra cost
Monitoring of market trends and competitive research
Best Practice 3: Ensure Seamless Integration and Communication
Top CRO outsourcers integrate like internal teams:
Shared workflows – integrating your tools into the process
Daily/weekly syncs – Slack/Teams transparency
Custom outputs – your database schema exactly
Best Practice 4: Focus on Compliance and Data Ethics
Secondary Data Compliance Checklist
HIPAA/GDPR compliant sources
Immutable audit trails
Anonymisation protocols
Quarterly compliance reviews
Ascentrik's ethical sourcing ensures regulatory safety for your trial intelligence products.
Best Practice 5: Structure Pay-Per-Success Pricing
Ditch subscriptions/credits. Opt for:
Pay only for verified records
No minimums or lock-ins
Scale pricing – pay more for niche complexity
ROI tracking – enrichment value metrics
Ascentrik's model aligns incentives: Perfect for growth-stage CROs.
Best Practice 6: Monitor Performance and Iterate
We outperform our competitors on metrics like Accuracy, Freshness, Enrichment Rate, Query Resolution etc. We iterate, refine niches and add sources. Our clients scale from pilot to enterprise.
Common Outsourcing Pitfalls to Avoid
Aggregators promising volume over quality
Fixed pricing ignoring niche complexity
No integration forcing manual cleanup
Stale data killing live products
Choose Ascentrik: The CRO Data Manager's Partner
We deliver custom secondary data research that scales your CRO:
Niche expertise – pharmacovigilance, rare diseases, global trials, oncology, preclinical studies
Full-time extension – your researchers, our capacity
Fresh, verified intelligence – ground-up every time
Pay-per-success – no risk
Proven results – CRO testimonials speak volumes
Table of Content
