Abstract: Water content determination is an important aspect of quality research in the whole process of pharmaceutical development, production, storage and use.Therefore, it is significant to develop an accurate and robust method for the determination of water content in the quality control of pharmaceuticals.In this article, the selection and strategy for the study of water determination methods are explained on the basis of general water determination principles and application examples in Chinese and foreign pharmacopoeias, together with the analysis of sample structure, solubility and water content.This article aims to provide basis for the development of moisture testing methods and formulation of proper quality standards for pharmaceuticals.