A new assay is a hypothesis until it is validated. Method validation is the structured process of proving that an analytical method does what it claims — reliably, in the right matrix, within known limits — before it is trusted for routine research use.
Accuracy and precision
Accuracy asks whether results sit close to the true value, typically demonstrated with spiked recoveries across the working range. Precision asks whether repeated measurements agree, evaluated both within a single run (repeatability) and across days, analysts, and instruments (intermediate precision). A method needs both.
Specificity and selectivity
Specificity confirms the method measures the intended analyte without interference from impurities, degradation products, or the sample matrix. For peptide assays — where closely related sequences and truncation products are common — this is often the make-or-break parameter.
Detection and quantitation limits
The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) define the lowest concentrations a method can reliably see and measure. Establishing them protects against over-interpreting signals that are really noise.
Document the evidence, not just the conclusion
- Pre-define acceptance criteria before generating data.
- Retain the raw results behind every validation parameter.
- Record the method version the validation applies to.
Validation is not paperwork for its own sake — it is what lets a lab stand behind every number the method later produces.
Peptide Strips products are intended solely for laboratory research and are not for human or animal consumption.
