University Research Laboratories' Accreditation: Key Procedures, Challenges and Suggestions

Abstract

It is critical to strengthen the reliability of measurement/data production services, to apply quality principles and culture to diverse infrastructure activities, and to organize research laboratories in universities effectively. The most trustworthy way to guarantee this is for laboratories to be accredited by a quality management system that has been established for the requirements of the ISO/IEC 17025 standard. However, the implementation of the quality management system in research and development institutions is still a very difficult task. There are 208 active universities in our nation as of 2024, of which 129 are state universities, 75 are foundational universities, and 4 are foundation vocational high schools. Only 59 of the laboratories at these universities are accredited by the Turkish Accreditation Agency(T & Uuml;RKAK). Examining these authorized laboratories' scopes demonstrates that the quality management components have been applied to particular scopes. Before starting the accreditation process, the first thing to do is to decide on the scope of accreditation. Completing the infrastructure requirements, determining the methods, providing the standards, defining the quality management system processes and preparing the relevant documents (procedures, instructions, workflows, forms, etc.), completing the personnel training, the device calibrations, providing the necessary traceable standards, the verification and measurement uncertainty studies of the methods, the determination of the internal quality control methods and the initiation of the studies, the participation of the proficiency tests and the obtaining of the results are followed. The quality management system had to have been in use for at least three months prior to submitting the T & Uuml;RKAK application, and internal audit and management review meetings had to have taken place. Accreditation of laboratories ensures the avoidance of repeated experiments and, consequently, the reduction of resource waste, the improvement of staff competency, the enhancement of device performances, the continuity and traceability of the system as technical and documentation with internal/external quality control processes. The operation of accredited laboratories within the institution will also help to improve student competences and their understanding of and exposure to quality systems. This study intends to outline the fundamental procedures of T & Uuml;RKAK laboratory accreditation, the key issues encountered, and potential solutions for adopting the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard in university laboratories.