How to Read Analytical Literature — a worked template

Analytical question

What measurement question was the work designed to answer? State it in one sentence, in analytical terms (e.g. what was to be identified, quantified, or characterised).

Material / sample studied

The specific material or sample examined, with the characteristics relevant to the measurement. Analytical conclusions are bounded by what was actually measured.

Analytical method

The technique(s) and conditions used, in enough detail to judge whether the method fits the question (for example the separation, detection, or measurement approach).

Calibration / reference standards

What the measurement was referenced against — calibration approach and any reference standards. A result is only as anchored as its reference.

Validation characteristics

Method performance characteristics reported (for example specificity, linearity, range, precision, accuracy, limits of detection/quantitation) — where the paper states them.

Measured parameter

The specific parameter actually measured — distinct from broader claims made about it.

Result

What the work reported for its measured parameter, stated plainly and without extrapolation.

Limitations

Method and scope limits — what the conditions, references, and validation do and do not cover.

What the method / result does not establish

Explicitly note what the measurement cannot support — properties not measured, inferences beyond the sample, or conclusions the method is not designed to reach.

Full citation

The complete reference, so the source can be located and verified.