[en] The demand by material research groups for the direct composition analysis of solids is increasing as a solution to the time-consuming problems and errors inherent to classical chemical analysis, where the attack and solubilisation of the starting material is mandatory, often producing the introduction of impurities and component loss of the initial matrix. From the existing solid analysis techniques the present work is focused on the Glow Discharge Emission Spectrometry (GDOES), a fast, simply-executed technique, for which quantitative, high resolution depth profile determination of any element in the periodic table can be performed with a high sensibility and detection limit. The theoretical concepts, the required instrumentation and the basic analytic applications are revised, giving especial attention to the issues related to the analysis of materials for fusion applications. Finally, a comparative study with a more advanced spectroscopic technique (Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS)) is performed and the concomitance of both techniques to correct limitations such as the spatial resolution and the quantification of the analysis, important factors that are required in the chemical analysis of the complex materials used in Fusion, is addressed. (Author) 41 refs.