In order to inspect a substance to be detected such as a foreign substance in accordance with the condition of the surface of a sample to be inspected such as a semiconductor substrate manufactured in various manufacturing processes under a suitable inspection condition, this method includes the steps of: inspecting a substance to be detected on a sample to be inspected under a plurality inspection conditions, which are previously set, as a single unit to detect at least the data of a detected substance for each of the plurality of inspection conditions; checking the data of the detected substance for the respective inspection conditions against each other to make check data; analyzing the detected substance based on the check data of the detected substance to classify the detected substance; adding the data of classified detected substance to the coordinate data of the detected substance for the respective inspection conditions to make data relating to the classified detected substance for the respective inspection conditions; and selecting a suitable inspection condition based on the data relating to the classified detected substance for the respective inspection conditions.