Evolution of Philosophy and Description of Measurement (Preliminary Rationale for VM3)

Published

October 16, 2008

Author(s)

Charles D. Ehrlich

Abstract

Different approaches to the philosophy and description of measurement have evolved over time, and are still evolving. There is not always a clear demarcation between approaches, but rather a blending of concepts and terminologies from one approach to another. This sometimes causes confusion when trying to ascertain the objective of measurement in the different approaches, since the same term may be used to describe different concepts in the different approaches. Important examples, include the concept and terms value , true value , error , probability , and uncertainty . Constructing a single vocabulary of metrology that is able to unambiguously encompass and harmonize all of the approaches is therefore difficult, if not impossible. This paper examines the evolution of the more common philosophies and ways of describing measurement, highlighting some of the differences and providing some of the rationale for the entries and structure of the [June 2006?] draft of the 3rd Edition of the International Vocabulary of Metrology, Basic and General Concepts and Associated Terms, or VM3.

Citation

Journal for Quality Comparability and Reliability in Chemical Measurements

Volume

XLVII

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

measured value, measurement, ordinal quantity, quantity, rationale, true value, uncertainty, VM3

Citation

Ehrlich, C. (2008), Evolution of Philosophy and Description of Measurement (Preliminary Rationale for VM3), Journal for Quality Comparability and Reliability in Chemical Measurements (Accessed May 5, 2024)