Observations and Inferences

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Direct Observations

Noticing something without any intervening factor between you and what is being observed

Indirect Observations

Noticing phenomena with an intervening factor between you and what you are observing

Qualitative Observations

Descriptions of what we observe

Quantitative observations

Measurements of what we observe

Accuracy

How correct a measurement is

Precision

How exact a measurement is, or can you reproduce the same measurement

Inferences

Explanation of an observation