The philosophy of microscopic quantification

A large number of microscopic quantification procedures are now available. As a result, methodologies that have statistical and stereological rigor are available. However, which of them are likely to yield the most meaningful numbers is not immediately obvious to a potential user of these procedures. Accordingly, this overview takes an entirely philosophical approach. Rather than review all the procedures (well established and more recent), it looks at the solution of common problems in quantifying microstructures and, through a “worked example,” demonstrates the power and simplicity of a number of the more useful techniques.