Differentiate between raw data and final study report data with examples.

• A. Raw data are derived summaries; final study report data are the original measurements.
• B. Raw data are stored in a drawer; final data are uploaded online.
• C. Raw data are the original measurements (e.g., chromatograms, logs); final report data are derived summaries and conclusions.
• D. Raw data are for QA; final data are for sponsor.

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that raw data are the unedited, original measurements collected during experiments, while final study report data are the processed, summarized results and conclusions derived from those measurements.

Raw data are what you get straight from the instruments or observations—think chromatograms or instrument logs, raw sensor readings, or raw experimental records. These are the traces that show exactly what was measured, without any interpretation or aggregation. Final study report data come from applying defined processing steps to those raw measurements: calculated concentrations, means and standard deviations, statistical test results, and the conclusions you present in tables and figures. For example, from a chromatography run, the raw data would be the instrument’s output traces and peak areas; the final report would include the quantified concentrations for each sample, along with calibration curves, QC metrics, and the overall interpretation.

It’s important that raw data be preserved in their original form so they remain traceable to the experiments, while the final data are the result of documented processing and analysis. This processing might include calibration, normalization, peak integration, and statistical analysis, and the steps should be described so someone can reconstruct the final numbers from the raw data. In short, raw data are the original measurements; final study report data are the derived, summarized conclusions based on those measurements.