This is sometimes used for clinical trials, but not always.
Data monitoring may involve having an independent statistician or a data monitoring committee (DMC) to analyse efficacy and safety data that has already been collected, while data collection is still ongoing.
Depending on the results of interim analyses, researchers may decide to carry on with a study, make changes to it, or terminate it earlier. These decisions are made according to statistical rules that are stipulated within a data monitoring plan.