Official Methods Board

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AOAC INTERNATIONAL

• Official Methods Board
• Training Symposium

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The Role of the Official Methods Board and
Method Committee Chairs

Darryl Sullivan AOAC Board of Directors Past
Chair of OMB
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Training Outline

• Overview of the Official Methods process
• Role of the Method Committee Chair
• Role of the OMB member
• Criteria for review of methods

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The Official Methods Process

• The Method Committee Chair (MCC) plays a critical
  role in this process
• The MCC is involves from the beginning
• The MCC facilitates first action method approval

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Author submits collaborative study protocol
AOAC appoints Study Director (SD)
Collaborative study protocol reviewed by general
referee, statistician, and safety
advisor. Comments forwarded to SD
Revision Requested
Protocol revised and submitted
Collaborative study protocol reviewed by
methods committee
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Revision Requested
Methods committee report sent to SD
Protocol revised and submitted
Conduct collaborative study
SD submits collaborative study manuscript
Collaborative study manuscript reviewed by
general referee, statistician, and safety
advisor
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Revision Requested
Comments sent to SD
Manuscript revised and submitted
Collaborative study manuscript sent to methods
committee for review
Revision Requested
Committee member comments sent to chair for
summarizing. Summary sent to SD
Rejected
Manuscript revised and submitted
SD requests appeal to OMB
Method approved as first action by the methods
committee
Method published in OMA
Collaborative study published in JAOAC
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Duties and Responsibilities

• Reviews and approves protocols and manuscripts
• Selects and interacts with method committee
  members
• Works as a member of the Official Methods Board

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Reviewing Protocols and Manuscripts

• The chair reviews all documents
• All protocol and manuscripts must meet AOAC
  standards for content and format
• Chair comments and responds on behalf of the
  committee
• Scientific quality must be the key driver

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Selecting and Interacting with Method Committee
Members

• Method Committee members are appointed
• Three year terms that can be renewed
• Experts in the topic of study
• Experience with AOAC collaborative study process

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The Role of the Committee Secretary

• The secretary is the chairs back up
• Responsible for committee annual reports
• Keeps meeting minutes and other records
• May assist the chair in other duties

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The Role of the General Referee

• Expert in the field of study
• Experienced with collaborative studies
• Works well with scientists

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The Role of the Statistical Advisor

• Experienced with AOAC collaborative studies
• Experienced with AOAC statistics
• Reviews all protocols and manuscripts
• Advised committee on statistical matters

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The Role of the Safety Advisor

• Experienced with AOAC collaborative studies
• Reviews all protocols and manuscripts
• Experienced with laboratory safety
• Advises the committee on safety issues

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Method Committee Meetings

• AOAC Annual Meeting
• Conference calls quarterly
• Method review conference calls

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The Official Method Board

• Role of the OMB
• Official Methods Board Meetings

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The Role of OMB

• Focal point of AOAC activities
• Works closely with the Board of Directors
• Sets policies and administers all of the method
  validation programs

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Official Method Board Meetings

• OMB meets three times a year
• Attendance is consider mandatory
• Final action method status
• Policies and procedures

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Criteria for Method Reviews

• All studies must meet AOAC standards
• Scientific quality
• Number of labs and samples studied
• Performance expectations
• Format and content
• Detailed information is found in AOAC guidelines
  and website

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Criteria for Method Reviews

• Studies must meet performance expectations
• Precision repeatability and reproducibility
  RSD
• HORRAT
• Accuracy - recovery
• This hold for all studies including SLV, PVM, and
  OMA methods

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Training Summary

• The MCC plays a vital role in the Official
  Methods process
• The MCC becomes a leader in AOAC
• Selection of the committee is very important
• Being part of OMB puts you at the forefront of
  all of AOAC activities

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Conclusion

• Thank you for your attention
• Questions?