A standard sample method for controlling microfossil data precision: A proposal for higher data quality and greater opportunities for collaboration

Abstract

Using standard samples is a simple yet very effective method to control data quality. In the field of Quaternary science, it is a commonly applied approach for isotope and geochemical analyses, greatly increasing the general level of confidence in these analytical methods. Microfossil analysis, by contrast, does not normally have any such system to secure data precision and accuracy objectively and routinely. In this paper, we propose a relatively easy and inexpensive way to adopt such a standard sample method for microfossil analyses. Rejected material from core subsampling was collected and homogenised, and was used for standard samples. One standard sample was treated and analysed for every seven sediment samples. Departure of the standard data from the long-term average quantitatively indicates the error. If the error was correlated with time (i.e. the error has a long or short term trend within the time spent for analysis), the additional information gathered from the standard data can then be used to correct raw data to improve data precision. The standard sample method in microfossil analysis is not only very effective in monitoring and improving data quality, but also enhances opportunities for collaboration, as it significantly reduces systematic data offsets between all parties involved in the analysis.