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Log Plug-and-play starting point AI & Automation

Log: AI Training Dataset Lineage and Exclusion

A plug-and-play log for the end-to-end lineage of an AI or machine learning training dataset: source system, extract query and parameters, each transformation, each excluded record with its documented reason, and the frozen dataset's version and hash, with a filled sample entry.

Document type: Log

Read and copy the template below into your own quality system. It is a generic starting point for your own internal use, provided as is, with no warranty; see the Terms and License. Adopting it does not by itself create compliance.

This is a ready-to-use log. Replace every <<FILL: ...>> placeholder with your own specifics. A worked sample entry follows the field table so you can see the level of detail an inspector expects. Verify each cited regulation against the current source before you rely on it.

Document control header

FieldEntry
Log titleAI Training Dataset Lineage and Exclusion Log
Document number<<FILL: LOG-ID, e.g. LOG-AI-009>>
Version<<FILL: version>>
Effective date<<FILL: date>>
Owner<<FILL: role, e.g. Data Engineering Lead>>
Dataset this log covers<<FILL: model / dataset name>>

Instructions

  1. Open one row-set of this log per dataset build or rebuild (initial build, each retrain on newly extracted data, or any material re-extraction).
  2. Complete every field at the time the action occurs, not retrospectively from memory; this log is itself a GxP record and is subject to the same contemporaneous expectation as any other.
  3. Every exclusion requires a documented, specific reason. “Removed for data quality” is not sufficient; state what was wrong and how it was identified.
  4. Freeze and hash the dataset only after all transformations and exclusions for that build are complete and logged.
  5. Retain this log for the life of the model plus <<FILL: retention period>>, so the dataset can be reproduced or investigated for as long as the model, or any decision it influenced, remains relevant.

Field table

FieldFormatRequiredWho completesWhen
Dataset build IDText, unique per buildYesData EngineeringAt the start of the build
Source system(s)System name(s) and versionYesData EngineeringAt extraction
Extract query / parametersQuery text or script reference, with parameters (date range, filters)YesData EngineeringAt extraction
Extract dateDateYesData EngineeringAt extraction
Record count at extractionIntegerYesData EngineeringAt extraction
Transformation step (one row per step)Ordered step number, description, script/pipeline referenceYesData EngineeringAs each transformation runs
Exclusion (one row per exclusion batch)What was excluded, count, documented reason, who approvedYes, if any exclusion occursData Engineering, with Process SME or QA concurrence for judgment-based exclusionsAt the time of exclusion
Record count after each transformation / exclusionIntegerYesData EngineeringAfter each step
Final record countIntegerYesData EngineeringAt freeze
Dataset version / hashVersion identifier and hash (for example SHA-256)YesData EngineeringAt freeze
Freeze dateDateYesData EngineeringAt freeze
Reviewed byName, role, dateYesData Steward or QAAfter freeze

Retention

Retain this log for the life of the model plus <<FILL: retention period, e.g. per the records retention schedule SOP-ID>>. If the model is retired, retain the log for the same period applied to its last training dataset, so a retrospective investigation remains possible.

Acceptance criteria

  • Every dataset build has a complete row-set: source, extract query and parameters, every transformation in order, every exclusion with a documented reason, and the final frozen version and hash.
  • No exclusion is recorded without a specific, reviewable reason.
  • Record counts reconcile at each step (extraction count minus each exclusion count equals the count carried into the next step).
  • The frozen dataset version or hash matches what was actually used to train or run the model, verifiable on request.
  • The log was completed at the time of each action, not reconstructed afterward.

References

FDA, Data Integrity and Compliance With Drug CGMP, Questions and Answers (Guidance for Industry, December 2018), for the Complete and Original expectations this log evidences. 21 CFR Part 11 and EU GMP Annex 11, for electronic-record controls over the log itself. MHRA GxP Data Integrity Guidance and Definitions; PIC/S PI 041 (reference by title; describe, do not paste).

Confirm the current version and clause numbers of each reference before issue.


Filled specimen

The following shows one build row-set completed for an illustrative bioreactor yield-prediction model. Numbers are illustrative; replace with your own.

FieldEntry
Dataset build IDYIELD-BUILD-2026-08-15
Source system(s)Process Historian PHX-3 v11.2; MES-EBR v4.0; LIMS v9.1
Extract query / parametersextract_yield_dataset.sql v1.3, params: batch_date 2023-01-01 to 2026-07-31, product = <<FILL: product family>>, site = Site A
Extract date08 August 2026
Record count at extraction1,842 batches
Transformation step 1Resolve historian tag names to canonical dictionary (tag_map_v6.csv); no records dropped
Transformation step 2Align historian time series to MES phase boundaries; 3 batches with unresolvable phase alignment flagged for exclusion
Transformation step 3Join LIMS potency results, honoring censored values (no coercion of ”< LOQ” entries); no records dropped
Exclusion 13 batches with unresolvable phase alignment (transformation step 2), reviewed and concurred by Process SME (D. Alvarez), reason: historian gap during a known outage window 14-16 Mar 2024
Exclusion 29 batches with dissolved-oxygen tag mapped to a decommissioned sensor never remapped, reason: representativeness hole identified during profiling, tag corrected in tag_map_v6 for future builds, these 9 excluded from this build only
Record count after exclusions1,830 batches
Final record count1,830 batches
Dataset version / hashYIELD-2026-08-15-v1, SHA-256: <<FILL: hash value>>
Freeze date15 August 2026
Reviewed byM. Okoye, Data Steward, 16 August 2026

The two exclusions total 12 batches out of 1,842 (0.65%), each with a specific, investigable reason and a named reviewer, which is exactly what lets a future investigator or inspector understand why the dataset the model trained on is smaller than the raw extract, rather than wondering what else might have been quietly dropped.

Common inspection findings this log prevents

  • A dataset was rebuilt for a retrain and no one can say what changed from the prior version.
  • Records were excluded but the reason is missing, vague (“cleaned up”), or was never reviewed by anyone beyond the person who removed them.
  • The record count in the final dataset does not reconcile with the extraction count and no log explains the gap.
  • The dataset used to train the deployed model cannot be matched to a specific version or hash, so it cannot be reproduced for investigation.
  • The log was filled in after the fact from memory once an inspector asked for it, rather than maintained contemporaneously.

How to adapt this log

  1. Set your document number, owner, and retention period in the header and retention section.
  2. Adjust the source system row to match your actual system inventory (historian, MES, LIMS, QMS, or others).
  3. If your pipeline is fully automated, have the pipeline itself write transformation and exclusion rows programmatically at each step rather than relying on a person to transcribe them, and state that automation in the “who completes” column.
  4. Decide who has authority to approve a judgment-based exclusion (one that depends on SME or QA opinion, not a hard rule) versus a rule-based one your pipeline applies automatically, and reflect that split in the exclusion field’s required approvals.
  5. Confirm every regulation in the references section against the current published version before issue.
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