Understanding Precision, Trueness and Accuracy

Three brief videos break down recently-revised standards terminology to help you understand the background behind the change, and the importance of correct usage.

Precision, trueness and accuracy: why are these terms important?

Ensuring that everyone is speaking the same language is critical for communication between scientists in the laboratory. While precision and accuracy are generally understood, the relation of the term trueness can be a mystery. This video describes all three terms and their relationship to one another.


When did “trueness” become a thing in life sciences?

The term “trueness” has been used in other industries for some time. The ISO IWA 15 (ISO International Workshop Agreement, finalized in 2015) aligns liquid handling in life sciences with the rest of the world by providing a definition for trueness along with 49 other terms.


How are terms like “trueness” incorporated into standards?

This video explains how the ISO IWA 15 applies current definitions from the international vocabulary of metrology (VIM) and adapts them for the specific case of automated liquid handling systems.


Additional Resources


About the Speaker

George Rodrigues, Ph.D.

George Rodrigues, Ph.D., is Senior Scientific Manager at Artel, the global leader in liquid delivery quality assurance. Rodrigues is responsible for developing and delivering communications and consulting programs designed to maximize laboratory quality and productivity through science-based management of liquid delivery. Rodrigues is Artel’s chief representative to key commercial clients, government regulatory bodies and industry organizations. His speaking and teaching engagements, along with his publications, build awareness of the challenges and solutions for laboratories in maintaining data integrity and confidence in their testing protocols. He plays a key role in developing the manufacturing and quality assurance processes for Artel products and organizes programs to assist pharmaceutical, biotechnology and clinical laboratories in improving their liquid delivery quality assurance and analytical process control. Rodrigues earned his BS in Chemical Engineering at the U.C. Berkeley, and a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin.