code: def get_result_children(self, result_data):
          
          specimens, samples, sites, locations = "", "", "", ""
          children = {'specimen': specimens, 'sample': samples,
                      'site': sites, 'location': locations}
          for dtype in children:
              header_name = 'er_' + dtype + '_names'
              if result_data[header_name]:
                  children[dtype] = result_data[header_name].split(":")
                  # make sure there are no extra spaces in names
                  children[dtype] = [child.strip() for child in children[dtype]]
  
          return children['specimen'], children['sample'], children['site'], children['location']
docs: takes in dict in form of {'er_specimen_names': 'name1:name2:name3'}
          and so forth.
          returns lists of specimens, samples, sites, and locations