Unit 4: Laboratory Techniques and their Application.
Storing and communicating information in the laboratory- P6
Learning aim D: Understand how scientific information may be stored and communicated in a
workplace laboratory.
Introduction
Massive data sets are measured in gigabytes (109 bytes) and terabytes (1012bytes). We can think
about them, talk about them, access them, and analyse them because data storage capabilities have
evolved over the last 10,000 years (especially so over the last 20 years) from human memory, to
stone, to wood, bark, and paper, and to various technologies associated with digital computers. With
so much data coming online and improvements in query languages for data base management, data
analysis capabilities are struggling to keep up.
The principal goal of data analysis is to turn data into information. It should be the statistician's
domain, but the technology will not wait for a community whose evolutionary time scales are of the
order of 5-10 years. As a consequence, scientists working with massive data sets will commission
analyses by people with good computer training but often minimal statistics training. This scenario
is not new, but it is exacerbated by massive-data riches (e.g., in environmental investigations, an
area familiar to us).
We would argue that statisticians do a better job of data analysis because they are trained to
understand the nature of variability and its various sources. Non statisticians often think of statistics
as relevant only for dealing with measurement error, which may be the least important of the
sources of variability.
Types of data:
Sample throughput-
The information of the substances in the lab need to be checked correctly. This gives information on the
number of samples going through processes in the laboratory in each time and could be an indicator of the
efficiency of the organisation. The head of department can access this information.
Most scientific organisations have a website where they also so store information about the company that
customers will benefit from when wanting to find out about the company. Some of the information given is:
Customer details-
The customers personal contact details and their order history which they can access at their profile.
Product detail-
What is produces by the company and the quantity of the products produced. You can also see how oong it
takes to make a certain amount on the product.
Manufacturing data-
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Methods of manufacturing a certain product as well as the apparatus used. You can also have access to
information on staffing. Some customers would like to find out about raw materials, yields and dates of
batches of products made which they can.
Warehousing data-
This part of the website will contain information on the quantity of raw materials stored as well as their
delivery rates.
Standard operating procedures-
All the steps and procedures that took place to produce the product will be listed under this.
Sample details-
These are the number of chemicals stored in the company’s lab.
Result of analysis of raw materials and products:
States the purity and quality of the products.
Maintenance records-
This contains dates on when equipment was serviced and repaired and when they are due for service.
Safety data-
The health and safety procedures taken are listed here as well as accident logs which lists all accidents that
have taken place and finally the noise logs.
Environmental records-
Information on waste disposal, the company’s recycling policies as well as the production of pollutants
Systems for managing laboratory information in the NHS and in a school laboratory-
The research done by scientists and technicians is heavily dependent on the team structure in which they
work and how each member of the team acts. This ensures that the senior person must rely on different
levels of employees. The organisation of this depends on:
How large the team is?
The particular routines that are carried out in a workplace.
Whether the team is spread out over a large area or different sites.
If the team is split into smaller groups carrying out a particular job at particular times of day or night.
Traceability is required in any organisation, regardless of the size of the group. It ensures that each team
member must take responsibility for their work. This may be because forms and work records must be
signed off. In some situations, a document will only be approved by a manager or team leader. This will also
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