It is now becoming recognized in the measurement community that it is as important to communicate the uncertainty related to a specific measurement as it is to report the measurement itself. Without knowing the uncertainty, it is impossible for the users of the result to know what confidence can be placed in it; it is also impossible to assess the comparability of different measurements of the same parameter. This volume collects 20 outstanding papers on the topic, mostly published from 1999-2002 in the journal "Accreditation and Quality Assurance." They provide the rationale for why it is important to evaluate and report the uncertainty of a result in a consistent manner. They also describe the concept of uncertainty, the methodology for evaluating uncertainty, and the advantages of using suitable reference materials. Finally, the benefits to both the analytical laboratory and the user of the results are considered.

Analytical procedure in terms of measurement (quality) assurance

Metrology in chemistry - a public task
Chemical Metrology, Chemistry and the Uncertainty of Chemical Measurements
From total allowable error via metrological traceability to uncertainty of measurement of the unbiased result
The determination of the uncertainty of reference materials certified by laboratory intercomparison
Evaluation of uncertainty of reference materials
Should non-significant bias be included in the uncertainty budget?
Evaluation of measurement uncertainty for analytical procedures using a linear calibration function
Measurement uncertainty distributions and uncertainty propagation by the simulation approach
Evaluation of uncertainty utilising the component by component approach
Uncertainty - Statistical approach, 1/f noise and chaos
Calibration uncertainty
Measurement uncertainty in microbiology cultivation methods
The use of uncertainty estimates of test results in comparison with acceptance limits
A model to set measurement quality objectives and to establish measurement uncertainty expectations in analytical chemistry laboratories using ASTM proficiency test data
Uncertainty calculations in the certification of reference materials. 1. Principles of analysis of variance
Uncertainty calculations in the certification of reference materials. 2. Homogeneity study
Uncertainty calculations in the certification of reference materials. 3. Stability study
Some aspects of the evaluation of measurement uncertainty using reference materials
Uncertainty - The key topic of metrology in chemistry
Estimating measurement uncertainty: reconciliation using a cause and effect approach
Measurement uncertainty and its implications for collaborative study methodvalidation and method performance parameters
Uncertainty in chemical analysis and validation of the analytical method: acid value determination in oils
A practical approach for assessment of sampling uncertainty
Quality Assurance for the analytical data of trace elements in food
Customer's needs in relation to uncertainty and uncertainty budgets
Evaluating uncertainty in analytical measurements: pursuit of correctness
A view of uncertainty at the bench analytical level
Uncertainty of sampling in chemical analysis
Appropriate rather than representative sampling, based on acceptable levels of uncertainty
Experimental sensitivity analysis applied to sample preparation uncertainties: are ruggedness tests enough for measurement uncertainty estimates?
Relationship between the performance characteristics from an interlaboratory study programme and combined measurement uncertainty: a case study
The evaluation of measurement uncertainty from method validation studies Part 1: Description of a laboratory protocol
The evaluation of measurement uncertainty from method validation studies Part 2: The practical application of a laboratory protocol
Is the estimation of measurement uncertainty a viable alternative to validation?
Validation of the uncertainty evaluation for the determination of metals in solid samples by atomic spectrometry
Statistical evaluation of uncertainty for rapid tests with discrete readings - examination of wastes and soils
Influence of two grinding methods on the uncertainty of determinations of heavy metals in AAS-ETA of plant samples
Measurement uncertainty and its meaning in legal metrology of environment and public health
Uncertainty evaluation in proficiency testing: state-of-the-art, challenges, and perspectives.-Uncertainty calculation and implementation of the static volumetric method for the preparation of NO and SO2 standard gas mixtures
Assessment of uncertainty in calibration of a gas flowmeter
Measurement uncertainty - a reliable concept in food analysis and for the use of recovery data?
In- and off-laboratory sources of uncertainty in the use of a serum standard reference material as a means of accuracy control in cholesterol determination
Assessment of limits of detection and quantitation using calculation of uncertainty in a new method for water determination
Study of the uncertainty in gravimetric analysis of the Ba ion
Assessment of permissible ranges for results of pH-metric acid number determinations using uncertainty calculation
Uncertainty and other metrological parameters of peroxide value determination in vegetable oils
Uncertainty of nitrogen determination by the Kjeldahl method
Glossary of analytical terms: Uncertainty.