Analysis of sample documents

When it is needed

When there are doubts about which samples were studied, who obtained them and how they were transferred.

What we examine

Sample collection and transfer records.
Packaging identifiers and registration information.
Object descriptions in the report and appendices.

Materials to prepare

List of questions about sample provenance.
Collection, packaging, transfer and registration records after transfer arrangements have been agreed.
Information about labelling and discrepancies found.
Complete report with appendices relating to the objects included.

Sample questions

Do sample identifiers match in the records and report?
Which information supports the source of each object examined?
Are packaging condition and signs of opening on receipt described?
Are there gaps or contradictions in the transfer sequence?
How do established shortcomings affect whether the conclusion can be checked?

Build a set of questions →

How the work is carried out

Reconstruct each object's documented movement sequence.
Compare identifiers, dates and recipient information.
Distinguish supported circumstances from questions requiring laboratory explanation.

Result

An object comparison table and reasoned comments on documentation of provenance.

What affects the conclusions

Incomplete documentation does not prove substitution. Copies of documents cannot reconstruct every actual action involving samples.

Frequently asked questions

Does a single mismatched number mean substitution?

Not necessarily. It must be checked whether this is a clerical error, a separate identifier or a discrepancy preventing object identification.

Can an anonymous test be checked?

The document's contents can be analysed. Linking the result to a particular person depends on confirmation of sample provenance.

How to check sample identifiers across the document chain

One object may successively acquire a collection identifier, packaging number, laboratory registration number and an appendix identifier. To check their connection, compare not only the numbers themselves but also the document explaining the transition between them.

Create a separate row for each object: identifier source, collection date, material description, packaging label, transfer information and identifier in the examination result. Preserve spelling exactly as given in the document. A suspected typo is noted as a question for clarification rather than corrected in every copy.

What helps check a discrepancy

Collection record and participant list with identification information relevant to the task.

Packaging description at transfer and acceptance, and label photographs where available.

Registration entry or the provider's explanation of internal numbering.

Appendices linking the object number to the profile examined and final answer.

A request to the provider should identify two specific identifiers and the documents between which the connection cannot be traced. This permits a substantive explanation rather than general confirmation that the examination was performed correctly. An incomplete document chain limits verification of provenance but is not independent evidence of actual substitution. Nor can a tidy inventory alone confirm actions not recorded in it: documentary analysis assesses available information rather than reproducing the whole laboratory process.