2.4.0.81010 - Disclosure - Basis of Presentationtruefalsefalse1false falsefalseD2013Q2YTDhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0001023131duration2013-01-01T00:00:002013-06-30T00:00:001true 1us-gaap_OrganizationConsolidationAndPresentationOfFinancialStatementsAbstractus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringfalse0Basis of Presentation2false 2us-gaap_BusinessDescriptionAndBasisOfPresentationTextBlockus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00<div style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times New Roman;"> 1.  Basis of Presentation   The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X.  Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included.  Operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2013.  The balance sheet at December 31, 2012 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements.  You should read these unaudited consolidated financial statements together with the historical consolidated financial statements of Covance Inc. and subsidiaries (“Covance” or the “Company”) for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012. </div>falsefalsefalsenonnum:textBlockItemTypenaThe entire disclosure for the business description and basis of presentation concepts. Business description describes the nature and type of organization including but not limited to organizational structure as may be applicable to holding companies, parent and subsidiary relationships, business divisions, business units, business segments, affiliates and information about significant ownership of the reporting entity. Basis of presentation describes the underlying basis used to prepare the financial statements (for example, US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, Other Comprehensive Basis of Accounting, IFRS).No definition available.false0Basis of PresentationfalseBasis of PresentationUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruefalsefalseSheethttp://www.covance.com/role/DisclosureBasisOfPresentation12