StandardsGroupReport
The work and the discussion of the standards group centered on four themes:
(a) Planning and preparation of dissemination to encourage exploitation of previous results such as round-robin
measurements.
- Studies should result in publications in refereed journals. This is important for comminty acceptance and to reach a wide
audience.
- Facilities and users should learn about best practice by publishing recommendations and the web portal should point to
papers and to other documents that describe the best practicesidentified by comparison between laboratories.
- Specific plans for publication on round-robin measurements on glassy carbon samples and on latex have been prepared and
discussion between the authors started
(b) Planning future co-operative measurement activities - round robin 'standards'
- Several fields were identified as likely to benefit from new round-robin activities. In practical terms it was thought
best to initiate only two or three new projects immediately and that these should first be started by a small group of two
or three participants. They can then be widened when initial materials and data are available.
- Grazing incidence scattering was seen as one priority for production of a reference sample suitable for both X-ray and
neutron studies.
- Biological small-angle scattering would benefit from appropriate 'standard' samples that are understood by that community
of users and are appropriate to measure in instrument configurations that used by that community.
(c) Highlighting the importance of uncertainty in SAS measurements: statistical ones and systematic ones.
- Previous studies, particularly with the latex round-robin sample have identified that systematic errors are frequently
more significant than the random errrors that arise solely from counting statistics. This needs to be more widely
recognised in publications, data analysis procedures and even in guidelines for good practice.
- A longer term project to evaluate systematic errors and the uncertainty that derives from them is desirable. This will
need gathering a group of appropriate people and invitations are being prepared.
(d) Give appropriate ideas on these topics to the other groups.
- Several of the ideas that have been discussed relate closely to work in other groups. New data formats should facilitate better description of uncertainty, the systematic recording of appropraite sample metadata and their uncertainties and the the reduction and analysis.
- The web portal should clearly identify good practices and provide appropriate training and educational material.
