Issue 23, 2015

Assessing the stability of a proficiency test material by participant-blind re-use after a period of storage

Abstract

A new, powerful and inexpensive test for the stability of reference materials characterised by the results of proficiency tests is demonstrated. Participant-blind re-issue of the same materials provides the scheme organiser with two independent estimates of the location and variance of the results. Because many participant laboratories are involved, the location estimates will not be confounded with changes in the execution of analytical procedures. The method is illustrated by its application to foodstuff test materials almost certain to be stable, with periods between the re-issues of between seven and 52 months. Apart from one discrepant result (out of 41), no statistically significant instability was demonstrated.

Graphical abstract: Assessing the stability of a proficiency test material by participant-blind re-use after a period of storage

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
26 אוג 2015
Accepted
22 אוק 2015
First published
26 אוק 2015

Anal. Methods, 2015,7, 9753-9755

Author version available

Assessing the stability of a proficiency test material by participant-blind re-use after a period of storage

M. Sykes and M. Thompson, Anal. Methods, 2015, 7, 9753 DOI: 10.1039/C5AY02255J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements