TABLE OF CONTENTS Each sample should be completely identified, tagged, or labeled so that no question as to its origin or source can arise. Some of the information that may be on the sample is as follows:
The number of the sample.
The notebook experiment-identification number.
The date and time of day the sample was received.
The origin of the sample and cross-reference number.
The (approximate) weight or volume of the sample.
The identifying code of the container.
What is to be done with the sample, what determinations are to be made, or what analysis is desired?
A computerized laboratory data management system is the solution for these problems. Information as to samples expected, tests to be performed, people and instruments to be used, calculations to be performed, and results required are entered and stored directly in such a system. The raw experimental data from all tests can be collected by the computer automatically or can be entered manually. Status reports as to the tests completed, work in progress, priority work lists, statistical trends, and so on are always available automatically on schedule and on demand.
The sampling of the material that is to be analyzed is almost always a matter of importance, and not infrequently it is a more important operation than the analysis itself. The object is to get a representative sample for the determination that is to be made. This is not the place to enter into a...
