Study notes and unavailable results
The application uses three types of message:
- Cautions keep the result and say what limits it. They appear as study notes.
- Missing estimates show Not estimated, with a reason.
- Stopped calculations produce no new result; edits saved before the calculation remain saved. See calculating results and analysis problems.
Where messages appear
Section titled “Where messages appear”| Where | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Red banner at the top of the page | A stopped calculation or an error |
| Notice at the top of Results | Results out of date, or limits changed after the calculation |
| Notes below the result | Data issues and why an estimate is missing |
| Acceptance table | The reason for each Undecided, Not evaluated or Not applicable outcome |
| Tables of estimates | Not estimated in place of a value |
| Report page 1 | Decision explanations directly below their acceptance or evidence table; other notes use a marker such as *1, with the note under Notes to page 1 in 2 Study notes |
| Report, Results tables | The reason each limit is not met or undecided, as a footnote |
| Report, 2 Study notes | Every caution, numbered and grouped by level |
Types of study note
Section titled “Types of study note”| Kind | Example | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of the comparative method | Positive and negative agreement with a method that is not a reference standard | Report them as positive and negative agreement; sensitivity and specificity need a reference standard |
| How rows were counted | Blank rows ignored in LoQ mode | Check each row's role |
| Claim beyond the data | A claimed concentration above the highest one studied | Study the claimed concentration, or narrow the claim |
| Claim not supported | An 8 h room-temperature stability claim the data do not support | Shorten the claim, or collect more evidence |
| Special values | A left-censored blank result ranked below every exact result | Nothing. The note says how it was handled. |
| Limit not used | A limit set for a level that isn't in the data | Correct the level and recalculate |
| Numeric convention | Rows imported with a decimal point while the study uses a decimal comma | Check those rows against the file. See Numbers, units and identifiers. |
Estimates not calculated
Section titled “Estimates not calculated”A missing estimate shows Not estimated on screen and "—" with a footnote in the report. Common reasons:
| Estimate | Reason |
|---|---|
| CV | Fewer than 2 results, a mean at or near zero, or negative results |
| Recovery at a blank level | The expected concentration is zero |
| A confidence interval | See when an interval is not estimated |
A limit that needs a missing estimate is Undecided, so the study is at best Undecided. See Acceptance limits.
Out-of-date markers
Section titled “Out-of-date markers”| Marker | Where | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Results out of date message | Top of Results | The current data or your unsaved edits have not been calculated |
| Recalculate results | The study header's main button | As above |
| Results out of date | Result column and Status filter on the project's Overview tab, and out of date on the study's Results tab | As above |
| Limits-changed notice | Results stage | Outcomes shown use the older limits |
| Out of date | Result in the Report stage | The saved calculation uses earlier data, settings or linked evidence; recalculate to update it |
| Out-of-date notice naming the change | Project report page | A study has a newer signed report, newer data or a newer calculation, a study was added, or the project details changed |
| The report appears after you recalculate. | Report stage | Recalculate to see or download the report |
| The data, settings or linked evidence changed after this report was signed. Update the inputs and recalculate to update the report. | Report stage | The signed report on screen is older than the data |
See Analysis problems to address a study note or a stopped calculation. See Report problems if a stored report or PDF cannot be opened or made.