ABSTRACT

Up to this point, the emphasis of this book has been on the basic principles of the chemical analytical system. The chapters that follow are concerned with the attainment and maintenance of adequate and acceptable performance of the system and with the evaluation of its outputs. The premise has been stated earlier that the quality of data must be known before it can be used in a logical sense and that data of consistently acceptable quality is dependent on appropriate quality assurance practices. When all is said and done, a quality assurance program is conducted:

to discharge management’s responsibility for the quality of a laboratory’s outputs

to allay the analysts’ concerns for the quality of their work

to inform the user of the quality of data or services so that they may be used with confidence

to provide records and documentation for present and future use

to protect all of the above interests