Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), as the main component of the bioavailable organic nitrogen pool in the soil, is one of the most active forms of organic nitrogen. As an important part of the soil nitrogen biochemical cycle, the migration and transformation of DON in the soil is closely related to the processes of nitrogen supply and loss. However, researches on soil DON were strongly limited by the lack of accurate and reliable analysis methods. This article summarized DON determination methods in soil extracts and waters in recent years, and focused on comparing the effects of different total soluble nitrogen (DTN) measurement methods and different pretreatment methods on improving the accuracy of DON analysis.