Use this vendor-neutral checklist to evaluate what a Certificate of Analysis reports, what it omits and whether its conclusions match the analytical methods shown.
Important: a polished certificate is not evidence by itself. Evaluate the original issuing record, sample association, method, result and limitations.
1. Record identity
- Product or analyte name is unambiguous.
- Batch or lot identifier is visible and matches the applicable product record.
- Concentration or configuration is stated.
- Sample receipt and test dates are present where relevant.
- Laboratory and report identifier can be independently resolved.
2. Source and chain of association
- The party that commissioned or supplied the sample is disclosed where available.
- The report is opened from the laboratory or original document, not only a screenshot.
- Any verification URL or report number resolves to the same record.
- Manufacturer-supplied and independently commissioned reports are not described as equivalent.
3. Method-to-claim match
| Claim | Evidence to look for | What it does not establish alone |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Mass-spectral, spectroscopic or other specific identification evidence | Quantity, purity or biological activity |
| Chromatographic purity | Defined HPLC/UPLC method, integration and chromatogram | Total peptide content or identity by itself |
| Content or assay | Validated quantitative method, calibration and reported units | Absence of every impurity |
| Biological activity | Defined functional bioassay | Chemical identity or purity unless separately tested |
4. Method quality
- The method and instrument are named.
- Specificity or selectivity is appropriate to the claim.
- Quantitative results state units, calibration basis and uncertainty or applicable limitations.
- Chromatographic results show how peaks were integrated.
- Acceptance criteria are distinguishable from measured results.
5. Final evaluation
- Conclusions are limited to what the test measured.
- Missing tests are recorded as missing—not assumed to pass.
- Conflicts, corrections and superseded reports are visible.
- The applicable configuration links to the exact record.