Opinions and interpretations

Some customers will require the results of the analysis to be interpreted or an opinion given, e.g. does the discharged water from the factory comply with the current legislation ) or how many cigarettes can be made from 2 kg of cannabis leaf There is now provision for this aspect of the work of an analyst to be included in the scope of accreditation of the laboratory to the Standard ISO/IEC 17025 2005 [1]. It is important to be clear about what is meant by Opinions and Interpretations. In the context of this book, it is the subjective expression given that is based on results, academic or scientific knowledge and experience gained over a period of time. 

---

To appreciate what is involved if opinions and interpretation form part of the scope of accreditation. 

It is a common misconception that opinions and interpretations are only offered by forensic scientists and Public Analysts. Analysts from many areas are required to provide this service, e.g. those dealing with consumer safety, geology/geochemistry, oil exploration and food science, to mention but a few. Some examples are given below. 

As mentioned previously, it is possible to include opinions and interpretations within the scope of accreditation. It should be realized that the opinions and interpretations themselves are not accredited. This accreditation is only given if the work is already accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 [1]. What is required by the Standard is evidence of the procedure used by the laboratory to authorize an individual to give an opinion or interpretation. This means there has to be a procedure within the management system of the laboratory that sets out the criteria upon which the quality of the person giving the opinion is assessed. This may be split into two parts, namely the criteria for assessing competence and the criteria for assessing experience. 

Accredited laboratories using the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) logo on their reports should make it clear to their customers whether the opinion and/or interpretation is part of their scope of accreditation. If the opinion or interpretation on a report is not within the scope, then there has to be a disclaimer, The opinions and interpretations indicated are outside the scope of UKAS accreditation . UKAS has published a guide to help interpret the ISO standard [3]. 

This chapter covers the different types of documentation found in an analytical laboratory. These include the documents which are part of the management system and those dealing with the activities in specific areas of the laboratory. The control of documents is also covered. There are sections on the production and management of records. Finally, there is a brief description of what is meant by the accreditation of opinions and interpretations. 

UKAS Guidance on the Application of ISO/IEC 17025 Dealing with Expressions of Opinions and Interpretations , LAB13, United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), Feltham, UK, 2001. 

When opinions and interpretations are included, the laboratory shall document the basis upon which the opinions and interpretations have been made. Opinions and interpretations shall be clearly marked as such in a test report. 

Documenting the basis upon which the opinions and interpretations have been made... 

Opinions and interpretations shall be clearly marked as such In a test report. 

Opinions and interpretations should not be confused with inspections and product certifications as intended in ISO/IEC 17020 and ISO/IEC Guide 65. 

Opinions and interpretations included in a test report may comprise, but not be limited to those listed in the slide. 

Opinions and interpretations are now allowed and covered by the standard (subsection 5.10.5), although not always included in the scope of accreditation. Interpretations are envisaged as including statements about the compliance of the result to a specification, if contractual requirements have... 

The citation of a patent or patent application should not be construed as an endorsement of the validity of the claims contained therein. All opinions and interpretations expressed in this review are those of the author. 

All reports should generally be checked independently by (ideally) two suitably qualified staff members. The laboratory should implement a policy regarding the provision of opinions and interpretation of data. The basis on which an opinion has been stated must be documented. An opinion or interpretation may include, but not be limited to, recommendations on how to use results, or information related to the pharmacology, metabolism, and pharmacokinetics of a substance. This is particularly important for classes of compounds for which the client/authority may not be aware of the latest developments or recent knowledge in the field, as is often the case, for instance, for natural hormones such as boldenone and nandrolone in breeding animals, compounds newly discovered to be naturally occurring such as thiouracil, and marker residues that may be unreliable such as semicarbazide as a marker for nitrofurazone abuse. °... 

Such scepticism, which is shared to some degree by several scientific commentators, reflects the persistence of gaps in Western knowledge about Soviet intentions and capability. The lack of firm evidence about several important issues permits a wide spread of opinion and interpretation. Soviet intentions are not clear serving Soviet officials have neither spoken nor written openly about their chemical weapons since 1938. Nor is there precise data about every aspect of their offensive capability indeed US Department of Defense officials have repeatedly admitted that their intelligence has gaps , albeit gaps of the same order as on other Soviet activities . ... 

All the above contributions are presented as self-contained independent chapters. This has inevitably led to some element of repetition and overlap of content. In my opinion, this contributes positively to the book by providing alternative data, literature, opinions, and interpretations. Many partly answered and unanswered questions remain. Perhaps the most pertinent lie within the context of the antioxidant/prooxidant balance of ascorbic acid within different tissues and disease situations and the detailed understanding of the hydrophilic/hydrophobic interface between water-soluble ascorbic acid and the lipid-soluble antioxidants, vitamins E and A. Thus, the door remains wide open for many future investigations. 

---