Keywords: 
• GLP compliance management /
• ecotoxicology test /
• schedule design

Abstract: The principles of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) are intended to assure data quality and integrity, and a well thought-out study plan is a key controlling document for a GLP study. The presence of a written study plan is to assist with proper execution of the study by providing all participants with clear instructions and sufficient resources. The cornerstone of study plan is to break down activities based on time, design the schedule of experiment, and determine the means to achieve the goal. However, the principles of GLP are very flexible so that an accurate and practical interpretation on time points is required in application phase. The schedule planning method to be used and the experimental date definition are at the discretion of the test organization. A balance has to be achieved between specified testing area and regulation aspects, if not, a disjointing problem would arise, and more seriously, the organization management ability may be questioned about by the monitoring agency. In this paper, a guiding approach to schedule design and management is illustrated with reference to GLP standards and guidance of several countries, areas and organizations in the field of ecotoxicology study, including Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA), United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), Ministry of the Government in Japan, Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BFR) in Germany and Switzerland. Furthermore, the specified definition of time points in the GLP principles, historical rules about them, and logical connections between them are described, and potential caveats from a regulatory standpoint are indicated. At the meanwhile, by combining the working flow of specified study in GLP laboratory, it adopts the method of activity categorization to analyze and reconstruct the implementation process of research, and it recognizes that essentially ecotoxicology studies are productive activity, so that a schedule should be built up on the basis of it. Finally, taking ready biodegradation and alga growth inhibition test as examples, it puts forward the advice on specific time points and schedule in actual research, and discusses on the blind area and key point in the establishment of schedule of independent experiment.