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Repeatability

Definition

The agreement between successive measurements of the same specimen made by the same analyst, on the same instrument, in the same laboratory, within a short time. Sets the minimum floor of variability for a method. Reproducibility extends this to changed conditions such as different analysts or laboratories.

Related terms

Accuracy
The degree to which a measured value agrees with the accepted true or reference value of the quantity. A biased instrument can...
Between-class variability
The spread of measurements between items from different sources or categories. A forensic method is most discriminating when between-class variability is large...
Limit of detection (LOD)
The lowest concentration of analyte that produces a signal reliably distinguishable from the instrument noise, conventionally three times the standard deviation of...
Limit of quantitation (LOQ)
The lowest concentration at which the assay can produce a quantitative measurement with acceptable precision and accuracy, typically defined as the concentration...
Measurement error
The discrepancy between a recorded value and the true value of the property being measured. Arises from instrument calibration limits, analyst technique,...
Precision
The degree to which repeated measurements of the same specimen under the same conditions agree with each other. Quantified by the standard...
Reproducibility
The closeness of agreement between measurements obtained under changed conditions: different analysts, different instruments, different laboratories, or different times. A wider measure...
Robustness
The capacity of a method to remain unaffected by small, deliberate variations in its operating parameters, such as slight changes in temperature,...
Selectivity
The ability of a method to measure the target analyte specifically, even when other substances that might plausibly appear in a real...
Within-class variability
The natural spread of measurements among items that share a common source, class, or category. For example, the range of refractive index...

Explained in these topics

  • Method Validation and Fitness for PurposeThe closeness of agreement between repeated measurements of the same sample by the same analyst on the same instrument under identical conditions over a short...
  • Variability and Measurement ErrorThe agreement between successive measurements of the same specimen made by the same analyst, on the same instrument, in the same laboratory, within a short tim...

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