TABLE OF CONTENTS Rubbish in rubbish out : data interpretation in toxicology is usually a complicated issue. If you are presented with a data package, first ask where are the data from? and ensure that the data come from a reliable source (see below). This is only the start. If you do not have any data, you will have to search for it yourself or commission someone else to do so. Irrespective of the case, you will have to assess the data you get and this chapter will help you in doing so.
The Data Package from which you start may be in hard copy or in electronic format. Most importantly, it may be complete or incomplete and it will probably be your job to determine this.
Unless all the data have been generated recently, in response to a clearly defined question, and as part of properly managed, well-integrated projects, shortfalls will probably exist. It is important to identify as soon as possible any ambiguity or omission in the Data Package since this may lead to subsequent queries that will cost time, money or both.
Toxicology is an applied science and the subject covers a wide range of disciplines. As a result, useful data can arise from multiple sources. Bearing in mind the heterogeneous nature of the data, you should ask the following questions in order to assess their trustworthiness:
Were the data generated in-house?
Were they published in...
