A standardized method outlining techniques for collection and storage as well as assay parameters such as cuvette type and homogenization procedures is essential before utilizing data bases to their full extent. The technique should be as rigorous and biologically realistic as possible yet still capable of being conducted in a field laboratory by personnel with minimal training in biochemical techniques. Most importantly, proper quality control and assurance procedures should be adhered to by all laboratories conducting the tests, regardless of whether their purpose is field diagnostics or rigorous research. Until such time as interlaboratory data can be more comparable, there will need to be continued reliance on current data sets, the 2-PAM reactivation technique, or comparisons of exposed birds to unexposed or 'control' animals collected concurrently and use published control values only as a check to determine if there are similar trends among species.