Measurement-the parametric approach

It is shown how parametric models of observations may lead to precise and well-defined measurement results. Parametric model fitting transforms the available observations into a few estimated parameters. A further advantage of a parametric model of the observations is the possibility to enhance the precision of the fitting procedure by incorporating a priori knowledge. This concerns knowledge of both the relevant part of the observations and the errors. The parametric model of the observations may also be used to precisely define and numerically assess the attainable precision or the resolvability of parameter estimates from the available observations. Using the parametric model, the experimenter may improve the precision by experimental design, that is, by deliberately selecting values for experimental variables that may to a certain extent be freely chosen