(Originally published on March 9, 2016. Last Updated on June 28, 2019)

Have you ever wondered how Pinnacle 21 implements rules for ADaM validation? Below is a list of commonly asked questions.

1. Does Pinnacle 21 implement the validation checks published by CDISC?

   Yes, Pinnacle 21 rules are an implementation of CDISC validation checks. In fact, P21’s Trevor Mankus is a co-lead of the CDISC ADaM Conformance Rules subteam with P21's Michael DiGiantomasso, Michael Beers, and Sergiy Sirichenko as active members. Between 2011 and 2018 the subteam produced 4 versions of CDISC validation checks, with Pinnacle 21 supporting the industry by releasing 7 updates to the open source rule implementations. This close collaboration between Pinnacle 21 developers, ADaM team core members, and representatives from across the industry is what makes it possible to continuously improve rule definitions and implementations. Most recently, the subteam released CDISC ADaM Conformance Rules v2.0 which included support for IG 1.0 and IG 1.1.

2. Why do the message text and rule counts differ?

   CDISC check definitions are designed to serve as requirements to machine implementation, "a programmable test, written such that an affirmative response represents a failure of the requirement. This text is intended for use as a requirement specification which could be implemented in a variety of programming languages". P21's rule messages and descriptions, on the other hand, are designed for the end user to help them quickly identify and fix the cause of validation issue.