Raw data policy

Every COA we issue is backed by raw chromatograms, mass spectra, calibration curves, and system-suitability records held in our instrument software per 21 CFR Part 11-style data-integrity principles. This page describes when and how that raw data is available.

Default: retained and controlled

For every submission, we retain raw instrument files (chromatograms, mass spectra, integration parameters, calibration curves, blank and surrogate QC) for at least seven years. By default these files are available to our admin staff for audit and review. They do not appear on public COA lookup by default; the public release artifact is the signed COA PDF.

Opt-in publication

At intake, customers can indicate that they want raw data published with the COA. That preference is treated as a release instruction, not automatic public access: raw bundles are published only after the underlying storage policy, customer authorization, and audit trail for that release path are in place.

This opt-in model supports transparency-first brands while keeping lot numbers, proprietary methods, and impurity fingerprints controlled until the client explicitly authorizes disclosure.

Requesting raw data after the fact

The client of record can request raw data at any time after a report is signed. We deliver the request within one business day. Email cs@goldstandardanalytics.comwith the accession number; we'll provide a signed-URL bundle of the underlying instrument files.

Downstream parties (an aggregator the brand sells through, a regulator running an inspection, an auditor doing pre-acquisition due diligence) can request raw data with written authorization from the client of record. We do not release raw data without that authorization, even when the COA itself is public.

What raw data includes

• Chromatograms (HPLC, LC-MS/MS, ICP-MS as applicable)
• Mass spectra with theoretical vs observed m/z annotations
• Calibration curves and r² values for the analytical run
• System-suitability records (resolution, retention, peak symmetry, S/N)
• Method blanks and surrogate-recovery QC
• Integration parameters used by the analyst
• Instrument identifier and the calibration timestamp on file

Format

Raw data is delivered as a zipped bundle containing PDF chromatograms for human reading plus the native instrument-export format (.d for Agilent, .raw for Waters / Thermo, .xyexports for ICP-MS) for downstream analysts who want to re-process. Each file's SHA-256 is embedded in the bundle manifest.

Cost

Free for the client of record on every submission. Free for regulators and authorized auditors. We charge a small handling fee for downstream third-party requests routed through the client (e.g. due-diligence packages for an acquirer); contact us for a quote.