Precision measurements of nuclide half-lives

The authors discuss factors that affect the measurement of nuclide half-lives; particular emphasis is placed on the quantitative influence of pile-up, dead-time, and background corrections. The size of such effects probably accounts for many of the discrepancies among 'precise' measurements. Other discrepancies are probably due to the influence of unknown contaminants the possible quantitative effects of which are discussed in detail. Some of these considerations are illustrated through a measurement of the 14O half-life finding tsub(1/2)=(70.684+-0.077)s. The system used for these measurements is described in detail. (Auth.)