Measurement error

Error in reading, calculating or recording a numerical value.

Measurement errors occur when the response provided differs from the real value. Such errors may be attributable to the respondent, the interviewer, the questionnaire, the collection method or the respondent's record-keeping system. Errors may be random or they may result in a systematic bias if they are not random. Measurement error in a survey response may result from respondents' confusion, ignorance, carelessness or dishonesty; error attributable to the interviewer, may be a consequence of poor or inadequate training, prior expectations regarding respondents' responses, or deliberate errors; and error attributable to the wording of the questions in the questionnaire, the order or context in which the questions are presented, and the method used to obtain the responses.

urn:sdmx:org.sdmx.infomodel.conceptscheme.Concept=SDMX:CROSS_DOMAIN_CONCEPTS(2.0).MEASUREMENT_ERR

The Cambridge Dictionary of Statistics, B.S. Everitt, Cambridge University Press, 1998

Statistics Canada, "Statistics Canada Quality Guidelines", 4th edition, October 2003