ABSTRACT
The ability to handle the quantity of data produced and the ability to assure the quality of the decisions made as a result of the data produced are uppermost in the minds of laboratory managers everywhere. It is obviously important for these managers to be keenly aware of modern data handling procedures and to be able to execute them. At the heart of modern laboratory data handling is the laboratory computer, often termed the laboratory “workstation” or “data station.” Various companies market the hardware and software required for computer workstations. Such systems are readily available in various price ranges and are commonplace in modern laboratories. Modern computerized data stations are capable of automatically accumulating and assembling data files for the purpose of preparing and storing personal reports for the analyst, as well as customized reports for clients. In laboratories in which the volume of laboratory data generated is large, the computer is a godsend.
