Field notebook

Field maintenance must be done first in the control and next in the treated plots. All documents must be entered in the field notebook. 

Field notebooks that scientists are using at JPPA contain the following items ... 

All documents must be entered into the field notebook. 

Samples must be shipped to two analytical laboratories immediately after packing. Most samples are shipped by door-to-door delivery service at a temperature of 5 °C. All documents must be included in the field notebook. 

The slope of the land upon which the field trials will be established and the direction of the prevailing wind must be taken into consideration when locating the treated and untreated plots in a field trial. The protocol may specify a certain separation distance for the plots however, the PI must ensure that the plots are located with adequate separation to prevent contamination of the untreated plot during the course of the trial. The untreated plot must be located up-slope and up-wind from the treated plot to reduce contamination from wind or rain. When the land is level or the wind is not from a reasonably constant direction, then distance may be the only feasible way to ensure that plot integrity is maintained. Careful attention to plot placement in the field and documentation of this location in the field notebook will help minimize questions or concerns about the trial site during preparation of the final report. 

Field notebooks and other test site information (labels, shipping papers, etc.)... 

The form or format of the notebook is not as critical from a GLP compliance standpoint as the completion of the record in an accurate, timely, readable, and attributable manner. Company and PI conventions typically have evolved into cost-effective and very efficient data notebooks for field residue trials. These notebooks contain the actual raw data for the trial and once begun become extremely valuable legal parts of the study record. The notebooks should be audited by QA during the field phase of the study as well as at the end of the trial before the notebook is returned to the sponsor organization. The quality of the trial is easily refiected in the quality of the field notebook at the end of the season. 

The two deliverables from the field residue trial will be the samples, properly labeled, packed and shipped, and the field notebook, filled out correctly and completely. It is important that the Principal Investigator realize that all notations and calculations are made directly in the field notebook, not transcribed, and in ink. Multiple events, such as calibrations, applications, and harvests, must be documented on sequential individual forms. The field data in the notebook are not sent to the EPA as part of a submission package. These data must conform... 

The mathematics involved with calculating the amount of active ingredient, formulated product, adjuvants, and water to put in a spray tank to achieve the application rate specified in the protocol should be addressed prior to arrival at the field for the first application. This is also true for the calibration method. The author has found that if eight agronomists are involved in a spray application, one will encounter eight distinct calibration methods. If a calibration SOP is not written for the spray equipment to be used, the precise steps in the calibration process should be documented in the field notebook. 

Today, much more than just data are produced electronically. Many documents needed for studies that fall under the Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standards regulations are being managed electronically. These records include not only data, such as chromatographic data from automated electronic capture systems and raw data collected in electronic field notebooks, but also other documents, such as methods, protocols, reports and standard operating procedures (SOPs). Frequently, these records are generated, distributed, reviewed, and archived electronically. 

Samples must be carefully labeled as they are taken. Labels must tell where, when, and how they were taken and include reference to the field notebook page where they are described. One other effective method of labeling is to use bar codes for each sample. This facilitates sample handling and decreases misidentification of samples. Bar codes can be generated in the field and attached to samples before shipment. 

C. The samples analyzed must be described in detail. Such descriptions may include the sour ce of the sample, what steps were taken to ensure that it represents the whole (reference SOP if appropriate) and what special coding may be assigned and what the codes mean. If the codes were recorded in a separate notebook (such as a "field" notebook), this notebook must be cross-referenced. 

Make a drawing of the grid in the field notebook. The completed grid extends beyond the boundaries of the irregular area to be sampled as shown in Figure 3. 

Measure the pit dimensions (length, depth, and width) and record them in a field notebook. Several measurements will be needed if a pit is of irregular shape or of varying depth. 

The occurrence of efflorescences should be documented in the field notebook. Samples, in plastic or glass containers, should be sent to the laboratory for chemical analysis. Conceptual models developed for water systems should incorporate the occurrence of efflorescences of observed compositions. 

According to the recommended protocol, large objects such as rocks, metal, glass, wood, coal fragments, and other miscellaneous debris were noted in the field notebook and were removed from the core samples prior to homogenization. Only one sample out of 140 was free of miscellaneous debris, and coal tar was most likely present in all samples. Material heterogeneity complicates sampling and analysis. Furthermore, extreme contaminant concentration levels can occur at the micro and macro physical scales, for example, with coal tar. 

SOPs help assure that study procedures are performed in a consistent manner and, by simply referencing a particular SOP, they eliminate the necessity of having to document repetitive procedural details in the field notebook. SOPs should be written for all common, repetitive tasks. Each SOP should describe only one procedure or operation. Published literature may be referenced and used as a supplement to SOPs. This is frequently done with equipment SOPs that have voluminous User s Manuals. 

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