title: A decision theory approach to fitness for purpose in analytical measurement.
abstract: The choice of an analytical procedure and the determination of an appropriate sampling strategy are here treated as a decision theory problem in which sampling and analytical costs are balanced against possible end-user losses due to measurement error. Measurement error is taken here to include both sampling and analytical variances, but systematic errors are not considered. The theory is developed in detail for the case exemplified by a simple accept or reject decision following an analytical measurement on a batch of material, and useful approximate formulae are given for this case. Two worked examples are given, one involving a batch production process and the other a land reclamation site.
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistical Science, University College London, UK.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fearn
authors.forename: Sheila A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Stephen L R
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ellison
mesh_terms: D002623:Chemistry Techniques, Analytical / Q000191:economics*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003662:Decision Theory; D008956:Models, Chemical