Evaluating Results

The analysis in FastQC is performed by a series of analysis modules. The left hand side of the main interactive display or the top of the HTML report show a summary of the modules which were run, and a quick evaluation of whether the results of the module seem entirely normal (green tick), slightly abnormal (orange triangle) or very unusual (red cross).

It is important to stress that although the analysis results appear to give a pass/fail result, these evaluations must be taken in the context of what you expect from your library. A 'normal' sample as far as FastQC is concerned is random and diverse. Some experiments may be expected to produce libraries which are biased in particular ways. You should treat the summary evaluations therefore as pointers to where you should concentrate your attention and understand why your library may not look random and diverse.

Specific guidance on how to interpret the output of each module can be found in the modules section of the help.