Observation Unit

An Observation Unit is a statistical unit or measurement unit that is described by the data.

• Example(s):
  • a base unit in the International System of Units.
  • a language model unit such as a word or character.
  • …
• Counter-Example(s):
  • a Unit set,
  • a Unit Matrix.
• See: Data Point, Experiment Observation, Intervention Assignment.

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References

2013

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_of_observation
  • In statistics, a unit of observation is the unit described by the data that one analyzes. For example, in a study of the demand for money, the unit of observation might be chosen as the individual, with different observations (data points) for a given point in time differing as to which individual they refer to; or the unit of observation might be the country, with different observations differing only in regard to the country they refer to. A study may have a differing unit of observation and unit of analysis: for example, in community research, the research design may collect data at the individual level of observation but the level of analysis might be at the neighborhood level, drawing conclusions on neighborhood characteristics from data collected from individuals. Together, the unit of observation and the level of analysis define the population of a research enterprise.

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