Summary
The quality of data, which is to say its accuracy, must be known whenever it is to be used for purposes of decision. This is only possible as it is produced by a valid analytical system operating in a state of statistical control. A quality assurance program should be established, consisting of quality control of the analytical system and quality assessment of the data that are produced. Data quality objectives should be established for every measurement situation and the accuracy attained must be within these limits. Ideally, the attained accuracy should exceed the required accuracy by a factor of three, at a minimum. The estimation of attained accuracy is best made using reliable reference materials. When they are not available, spikes may be used with lesser confidence. No matter what estimation techniques are used, decisions must be made on the basis of statistical tests of significance. The evaluation of accuracy is a continuing operation and facilitated by the use of appropriate control charts. The paper discusses the above described concepts and summarizes the techniques most useful for evaluating the accuracy of analytical data.
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Taylor, J.K. The role of statistics in quality assurance. Z. Anal. Chem. 332, 722–725 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00472678
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00472678