What is the Difference Between Repeatability, Reproducibility, Accuracy, and Precision?

In an editorial published in American Laboratory (November 2000), Ira S. Krull states that in “any science, then, one must present at the very outset evidence of repeatability, reproducibility, accuracy, and precision (emphasis added).” Suppose you are preparing a manuscript to submit to Analytical Chemistry on a newly developed analytical method. Briefly define each of the italicized terms in Krull’s quote and explain why each is an important issue that you need to be address in your manuscript.

About the Author

ASDL Contributor

David Harvey

Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry at DePauw University

David T. Harvey is a Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and Biochemistry at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, where he has been a dedicated faculty member since 1986. Over his nearly four-decade career, Dr…
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