Specimen integrity and statistics: Two essential components of good veterinary practice

摘要

The article by Neumann and Bonistalli, 2009 E.J. Neumann and K.N. Bonistalli, Effect of blood sample handling post-collection on Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae antibody titres. View Record in Scopus Cited By in Scopus (3)Neumann and Bonistalli (2009),published in this issue of The Veterinary Journal, typifies many articles published recently in veterinary journals, but distinguishes itself in its handling of two very important issues in the field of diagnostics: specimen integrity and statistical evaluation of diagnostic accuracy. In all modern laboratory testing, and especially during experimental design and execution, proper statistical analysis is paramount. However, in the actual execution phase, when the specimen has been in any way degraded, outstanding design and subsequent statistical analysis may be of little use.