ARS | Publication request: STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOPS) FOR FIELD RESEARCH IN WEED SCIENCE

Submitted to: Weed Technology Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: April 9, 1995
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: There is a need for consistency and a uniform way of conducting field research in weed science. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) were developed for repetitive field research tasks to help ensure that instructions were complete and to provide consistency and continuity in the senior author's field research program. SOPs are explicit step-by-step instructions for carrying out component parts of experimental procedures. They are most useful for new workers and when research tasks need to be repeated infrequently in time (i.e., once every six months). SOPs may help researchers enhance data accuracy, precision, and reproducibility as part of their own in-house statistical quality control programs. The authors' field-tested SOPs in Wordperfect 5.1 format are available on diskette for critical review, modification, and use by interested weed scientists and others. This information should benefit weed scientists and help them more equickly and easily develop their own statistical quality control program. This will benefit farmers, extension agents, and others in the general public indirectly by improving the scientist's research timeliness, efficiency, and continuity.

Technical Abstract: Standard operating procedures (SOPs) were developed for repetitive field research tasks to help ensure that instructions were complete and to provide consistency and continuity in the senior author's field research program. SOPs are explicit step-by-step instructions for carrying out component parts of experimental procedures. They are most useful for new workers and when research tasks need to be repeated infrequently in time (i.e., once every six months). SOPs may help researchers enhance data accuracy, precision, and reproducibility as part of their own own in-house statistical quality control programs. The authors' field-tested SOPs in Wordperfect 5.1 format are available on diskette for critical review, modification, and use by interested weed scientists.