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The meaning of measurement in metrology

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Abstract

The latest version of the International Vocabulary of Metrology gives a meaning of measurement restricted to quantities that can be represented by numerical values and placed in an ordinal sequence. This restrictive definition fits poorly with both the colloquial and the wider scientific understanding of measurement. This paper suggests an extension to the metrological definition of measurement, based on the measurement classification scheme of Stevens, to incorporate non-numerical and nominal measurements. The more inclusive definition and the classification scheme offers insights into the utility, metrological traceability, and limitations of measurements and uncertainty treatments, and enables clarification of other measurement-related definitions.

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Acknowledgments

The author gratefully acknowledges the contribution of one of the referees with particularly constructive comments and additional references.

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  1. Measurement Standards Laboratory of New Zealand, PO Box 31310, Lower Hutt, 5040, New Zealand

    Rod White

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  1. Rod White
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Correspondence to Rod White.

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White, R. The meaning of measurement in metrology. Accred Qual Assur 16, 31–41 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-010-0698-1

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