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Definition of terms

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25362

Chemical
Jan 5, 2003
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I've read in eng-tips forums, at least, one discussion about the meanings and differences between accuracy and precision.

What can participants also say about repeatability, reproducibility, replicability, and their relation with precision or accuracy ?
 
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Terms are defined in ISO 5725/1...6 (1994), approx. 200 pages.Many people daily use termins repeatability, reproducibility, replicability, precision or accuracy without actually knowing what they speak about.
m777182
 
There was one excellent example we learned during college days. When you are shooting, accuracy indicates how much you are nearer to the bulls eye and precision indicates how many times you are nearer to your accurate hit.

 
Appendix D of NIST TN1297 Guidelines for Evaluating and Expressing the Uncertainty of NIST Measurement Results contains the NIST definitions of the various terms:

It's a very pedantic discussion, but at least it's free for downloading

TTFN
 
When speaking of laboratory reports could we say, for example, as follows ?

Variance
factor replicability repeatability reproducibility

sample equal equal equal
tester equal [↑]at least different
instrument equal { one different
date equal [↓]different may differ
laboratory equal equal different
 
You may also want to look at ISA 37.1, Electrical Transducer
Nomenclature and Terminology for these terms as applied to measurement instrumentation.

John
 
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