A description of a property of a system by means of a set of specified rules, that
maps the property onto a scale of specified values, by direct or '
mathematical' comparison with specified reference(s). The demand for rules makes '
measurement' a scientific concept in contrast to the mere colloquial sense of '
description'. However, in the present definition, '
measurement' has a wider meaning than given in elementary physics. Even a very incomplete description
of, for instance, a patient (at a stated time) has to be given by a set of measurements,
that are easier to manage and grasp.
Source:
PAC, 1995, 67, 1563
(Properties and units in the clinical laboratory sciences-I. Syntax and semantic rules
(IUPAC-IFCC Recommendations 1995))
on page 1565