Due to the wide use and key importance of mathematical models in process engineering, experiment design is becoming an essential tool for the rapid building and validation of these mechanistic models. Several experiment design techniques have been developed in the past and applied successfully to a wide range of systems. This paper is focused on the so-called model-based design of experiments (DOE) and aims at presenting an up-to-date state of the art in this important field. In order to provide an adequate and thorough background to this technique, a detailed description of the key elements of a model identification procedure (the model itself, the experiment, the statistical tools, etc.) and the major steps of a model-building strategy are introduced before focusing on the experiment design for parameter precision, which is the topic of this survey. An overview and critical analysis of the state of the art in this sector are proposed. The main contributions to model-based experiment design procedures in terms of novel criteria, mathematical formulations and numerical implementations are highlighted. A list of the most recent applications of these techniques in various fields (from chemical kinetics to biological modelling) is then presented highlighting the key role of model-based DOE in the process engineering area. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.