Reference material
Definition
A specimen or sample of known species, origin, or composition used to validate a method and as a positive control in ongoing casework. Building reference materials for wildlife forensics is difficult because many species are protected and collecting specimens requires permits.
Related terms
- Chain of custody
- The unbroken documentary trail of who held a sealed exhibit, when, and under what seal, from the moment of collection through analysis...
- ISO 17025
- International standard for the general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. Covers management system requirements (document control, internal audits,...
- Method validation
- The process of demonstrating that an analytical method does what it claims: that it correctly identifies the target analyte, at what sensitivity,...
- Proficiency testing
- Blind or semi-blind testing of an examiner's conclusions against known ground truth by a body independent of the training organisation. Required under...
- SWFS
- Society of Wildlife Forensic Scientists. Professional body that publishes guidelines specific to wildlife forensic practice and supports the global community of practitioners...
Explained in
- Accreditation and Quality Systems in Wildlife ForensicsA specimen or sample of known species, origin, or composition used to validate a method and as a positive control in ongoing casework. Building reference mater...