Planning the Project

Overview

The first stage of a trace analysis is planning the project. This chapter discusses the process of planning, which involves defining the problem and assessing the technical requirements needed to solve the problem. Without careful planning, achieving reliable results becomes a game of chance.

Analytical projects fall into categories of non-routine, semi-routine, and routine:

Non-routine - a project in which a validated method does not exist and little is known about the sample.
Semi-routine - a project in which something significant can be stated about the sample and the method of analysis.
Routine - a project in which the sample is chemically known and a validated method is available.

This chapter assumes that the chemist will be analyzing samples that fall into one or more of the above categories. Before the planning process can begin, the analyst must examine the following:

• The need for sampling and sub-sampling
• Reagent quality
• Sample preparation
• Measurement
• QA/QC
• Reporting requirements

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