ABSTRACT
Finding a desired physical property value in a prestigious handbook is not necessarily a guarantee that the number is accurate. It is unfortunate that the first pass at retrieval of physical property data is often totally disorganized and poorly done. Handbooks containing data are seldom compiled based on critical evaluation of physical property data. Therefore, the first rule is to use sources critically, because they are extremely variable in quality. In addition to the expertise of the researchers at Pennsylvania State University, one must also consider the role of the project steering committee which has had a very active role in guiding the project. Subcommittees review the results of the work done by Pennsylvania State in different classes of compounds, and recommend improvements or point out oversights. If the available critical evaluations do not provide the needed information, it will be necessary to dig further.
