1. A method for determining a distribution pattern previously exhibited for a metric or a test, the method comprising: a computer receiving one or more keywords input by a user to describe the metric, or the test; the computer searching a plurality of documents for the one or more keywords; the computer identifying a first document that includes at least one of the one or more keywords based on the searching; the computer identifying a first distribution pattern specified in the first document for the metric or the test; the computer identifying other documents that include the one or more key words; and the computer determining and making an electronic record of a confidence level of the first distribution pattern based on the identifying the other documents.
1. A method for determining a distribution pattern previously exhibited for a metric or a test, the method comprising: a computer receiving one or more keywords input by a user to describe the metric, or the test; the computer searching a plurality of documents for the one or more keywords; the computer identifying a first document that includes at least one of the one or more keywords based on the searching; the computer identifying a first distribution pattern specified in the first document for the metric or the test; the computer identifying other documents that include the one or more key words; and the computer determining and making an electronic record of a confidence level of the first distribution pattern based on the identifying the other documents. 10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the computer identifying two or more known distribution patterns that are closely related to one another, wherein the two or more known distribution patterns include at least one element selected from the group consisting of a type of data, a type of test, a category that includes the distribution pattern, a spatial arrangement of data within the distribution pattern, a shape associated with the distribution pattern, and an amount of measured data that is included by the distribution pattern.