Experimental samples in wood preservation research are usually individually labelled with either some form of durable marking pen or more commonly with a stamped metal or plastic tag. The label must remain intact and legible for the duration of the experiment which, in the case of a field trial, can be many years. Preservative performance data have traditionally been recorded manually on a data sheet. Since the advent of the personal computer there has been a progressive switch towards the new technology for manipulation of the recorded data. Unfortunately most information is laboriously entered into the computer by hand. This is both inefficient and prone to human error. In recent years barcode technology and portable field computers have progressed to the point where they are relatively inexpensive and simple to use. This paper describes one application of this technology to wood preservation research. The relative advantages of the new technology are discussed.

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