The 'omics' approaches - genomics, proteomics and metabolomics - are based on high-throughput, high-information-content analysis. Using these approaches, as opposed to targeting one or a few analytes, a holistic understanding of the composition of a sample can be obtained. These approaches have revolutionized sample-analysis and data-processing protocols. In metabolomic studies, hundreds of small molecules are simultaneously analyzed using analytical platforms (e.g., gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS(2))). This philosophy of holistic analysis and the application of high-throughput, high-information-content analysis offer several advantages. In this article, we compare the conventional analytical approach of one or a few analytes per sample to the LC-MS(2)-based metabolomics-type approach in the context of pharmaceutical and environmental analysis.