Which control mechanism BEST helps reduce research time for investigating exceptions in data file change management?

Transaction logs serve as a comprehensive record of changes made to data files, capturing critical information such as what changes were made, when they occurred, and who made them. This detailed audit trail is invaluable for investigators because it allows them to quickly understand the context of data alterations, thereby significantly reducing the time spent searching for exceptions.

In the case of exceptions in data file change management, transaction logs provide a straightforward way to trace back through the history of changes. When an anomaly is detected, investigators can reference the logs to identify the specific transaction that caused the exception. This direct correlation between changes and their timestamps means that the process of pinpointing errors or unauthorized changes becomes much more efficient.

Moreover, transaction logs can help put controls in place for understanding patterns of change and can also support compliance and verification efforts by making it easier to demonstrate adherence to change management policies.

Other methods, while they have their merits, do not focus specifically on the quick retrieval of change histories. For example, one-for-one checking generally involves manually verifying changes, which is time-consuming. Data file security focuses more on protecting the data than on tracking changes. Lastly, file updating and maintenance authorization ensures that changes are approved but does not provide a mechanism for rapidly investigating what those changes were or when