title: Quality assurance in age estimation based on aspartic acid racemisation.
abstract: Estimates of the age of living and dead individuals, obtained in order to answer legal or social questions, require minimum quality standards in order to guarantee data quality. We present an outline strategy (with recommendations) for the attainment of quality assurance in age estimation based on aspartic acid racemisation. The strategy is based on a definition of minimum standards for laboratories, including documentation of procedures, methodology and levels of expertise, and the formulation of guidelines for intralaboratory and interlaboratory quality control.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rechtsmedizin der CAU zu Kiel, Arnold-Heller-Strasse 12, 24105 Kiel, Germany. s.ritz@rechtsmedizin.uni-kiel.de
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ritz-Timme
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rochholz
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Schütz
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Waite
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cattaneo
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kaatsch
mesh_terms: D000366:Age Determination by Teeth / Q000379:methods*; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D002138:Calibration / Q000592:standards; D003804:Dentin / Q000737:chemistry*; D005104:Expert Testimony; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories / Q000592:standards; D011786:Quality Control; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D001224:Aspartic Acid