Comments on the use of the Monte Carlo method for criticality calculations

As evidenced by recent papers given at Nuclear Criticality Safety Division meetings, the use of the Monte Carlo method has become a very popular computational tool. The ease of use has undoubtably been a primary reason for this popularity. This ease of use, however, may lead to a false sense of security when using the method. Guidance on the effective use of the method and some suggestions on how to avoid some of the pitfalls that can occur are presented