Foreword
In 1988, Professor Julian Tyson published an informative little book entitled
''Analysis: What Analytical Chemists Do?' Professor Valcarcel's text could well be
called "What Analytical Chemistry Is, What Analytical Chemists Do, and How to
Do It Right:'
Thus, it is concerned with such things as what information is really needed,
cost effectiveness considerations, tradeoffs in analyses, quality control and good
analytical practice.
This book departs from traditional texts in concentrating on the structure of
analytical chemistry, introducing students to analytical concepts, how to obtain
reliable data, and how to interpret it. It does not teach the myriad of techniques
and methodologies, which are reserved for the more conventional texts. It serves
as an introductory text to be taught at the first year level or as a complement to
conventional analytical chemistry texts. Practitioners of analytical chemistry
will also find it useful for placing in context all that they do.
Professor Valcarcel takes a unique hierarchical approach to define and describe concepts and analysis in general. The text builds on and integrates a
number of concepts he has introduced over the years in the analytical chemistry
literature (see, for example, Suggested Readings 1,2,3,7 and 9 in Chapter 1). The
author makes generous use of relational figures throughout the text to aid the
student in visualizing the concepts introduced in each chapter. The reader is
recommended to look first at Figure 1.1 0, which nicely integrates and places in
context the topics covered in the remainder of the text.
Each chapter is introduced with a list of learning objectives, a useful way to
put the topics in perspective. There are boxed materials throughout that provide
more detailed examples of the topics introduced. And at the ends of chapters are
a series of "seminars:' Many are discussion oriented analysis problems, which
can serve for individual study or group discussions, led, for example, by the
instructor, for student centered learning. Others provide worked example
problems. There are also numerous questions at the ends of the chapters aimed
at testing the student's understanding of the concepts introduced in the chapter.
Finally, a list of suggested reading is provided for each.
Chapter 3 has a useful Annex in which actual standard analytical methods are
reproduced to illustrate the analytical process and approach for some specific analyses. There is a useful glossary of terms at the end of the text. I recommend reading
through this initially. It will give a quick flavor of topics to be covered, and provide
a foundation for reading the text. Also, there is a helpful list of terms and symbols.
In order to enhance the flexibility of the text, and assist the instructor in
adapting it for different learning environments or levels of instruction, Professor
Valcarcel has provided a helpful list of topics to be selected at three levels, based
on number of class hours.
In 1988, Professor Julian Tyson published an informative little book entitled
''Analysis: What Analytical Chemists Do?' Professor Valcarcel's text could well be
called "What Analytical Chemistry Is, What Analytical Chemists Do, and How to
Do It Right:'
Thus, it is concerned with such things as what information is really needed,
cost effectiveness considerations, tradeoffs in analyses, quality control and good
analytical practice.
This book departs from traditional texts in concentrating on the structure of
analytical chemistry, introducing students to analytical concepts, how to obtain
reliable data, and how to interpret it. It does not teach the myriad of techniques
and methodologies, which are reserved for the more conventional texts. It serves
as an introductory text to be taught at the first year level or as a complement to
conventional analytical chemistry texts. Practitioners of analytical chemistry
will also find it useful for placing in context all that they do.
Professor Valcarcel takes a unique hierarchical approach to define and describe concepts and analysis in general. The text builds on and integrates a
number of concepts he has introduced over the years in the analytical chemistry
literature (see, for example, Suggested Readings 1,2,3,7 and 9 in Chapter 1). The
author makes generous use of relational figures throughout the text to aid the
student in visualizing the concepts introduced in each chapter. The reader is
recommended to look first at Figure 1.1 0, which nicely integrates and places in
context the topics covered in the remainder of the text.
Each chapter is introduced with a list of learning objectives, a useful way to
put the topics in perspective. There are boxed materials throughout that provide
more detailed examples of the topics introduced. And at the ends of chapters are
a series of "seminars:' Many are discussion oriented analysis problems, which
can serve for individual study or group discussions, led, for example, by the
instructor, for student centered learning. Others provide worked example
problems. There are also numerous questions at the ends of the chapters aimed
at testing the student's understanding of the concepts introduced in the chapter.
Finally, a list of suggested reading is provided for each.
Chapter 3 has a useful Annex in which actual standard analytical methods are
reproduced to illustrate the analytical process and approach for some specific analyses. There is a useful glossary of terms at the end of the text. I recommend reading
through this initially. It will give a quick flavor of topics to be covered, and provide
a foundation for reading the text. Also, there is a helpful list of terms and symbols.
In order to enhance the flexibility of the text, and assist the instructor in
adapting it for different learning environments or levels of instruction, Professor
Valcarcel has provided a helpful list of topics to be selected at three levels, based
on number of class hours.