The Use of Reference Materials: A Tutorial

Any review of the analytical literature shows that, while reference materials are routinely used in laboratories world‐wide, not all uses follow ISO Guide 33 (1989), which outlines best practices. Analytical data quality can suffer as a result. This paper reviews the various uses that the geoanalytical community has made of reference materials from a historical perspective, and suggests improvements in practice that would more closely follow ISO Guide 33 recommendations.