Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Uncertainty in Measurement: Accuracy and Precision03:37

Uncertainty in Measurement: Accuracy and Precision

99.5K
Scientists typically make repeated measurements of a quantity to ensure the quality of their findings and to evaluate both the precision and the accuracy of their results. Measurements are said to be precise if they yield very similar results when repeated in the same manner. A measurement is considered accurate if it yields a result that is very close to the true or the accepted value. Precise values agree with each other; accurate values agree with a true value. 
99.5K
Random and Systematic Errors01:20

Random and Systematic Errors

14.3K
Scientists always try their best to record measurements with the utmost accuracy and precision. However, sometimes errors do occur. These errors can be random or systematic. Random errors are observed due to the inconsistency or fluctuation in the measurement process, or variations in the quantity itself that is being measured. Such errors fluctuate from being greater than or less than the true value in repeated measurements. Consider a scientist measuring the length of an earthworm using a...
14.3K
Systematic Error: Methodological and Sampling Errors01:15

Systematic Error: Methodological and Sampling Errors

8.5K
In the case of systematic errors, the sources can be identified, and the errors can be subsequently minimized by addressing these sources. According to the source, systematic errors can be divided into sampling, instrumental, methodological, and personal errors.
Sampling errors originate from improper sampling methods or the wrong sample population. These errors can be minimized by refining the sampling strategy. Defective instruments or faulty calibrations are the sources of instrumental...
8.5K
Statistical Analysis: Overview01:11

Statistical Analysis: Overview

14.1K
When we take repeated measurements on the same or replicated samples, we will observe inconsistencies in the magnitude. These inconsistencies are called errors. To categorize and characterize these results and their errors, the researcher can use statistical analysis to determine the quality of the measurements and/or suitability of the methods.
One of the most commonly used statistical quantifiers is the mean, which is the ratio between the sum of the numerical values of all results and the...
14.1K
Accuracy and Precision01:52

Accuracy and Precision

13.9K
Scientists typically make repeated measurements of a quantity to ensure the quality of their findings and to evaluate both the precision and the accuracy of their results. Measurements are said to be precise if they yield very similar results when repeated in the same manner. A measurement is considered accurate if it yields a result that is very close to the true or the accepted value. Precise values agree with each other; accurate values agree with a true value.  Highly accurate...
13.9K
Types of Errors: Detection and Minimization01:12

Types of Errors: Detection and Minimization

9.5K
Error is the deviation of the obtained result from the true, expected value or the estimated central value. Errors are expressed in absolute or relative terms.
Absolute error in a measurement is the numerical difference from the true or central value. Relative error is the ratio between absolute error and the true or central value, expressed as a percentage.
Errors can be classified by source, magnitude, and sign. There are three types of errors: systematic, random, and gross.
Systematic or...
9.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Cosmin reporting guideline for studies on measurement properties of patient-reported outcome measures and its explanation and elaboration document: translation into Brazilian Portuguese.

Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation·2026
Same author

Interactive Tool for Flexible Developmental Assessment in Youth Health Care.

Studies in health technology and informatics·2026
Same author

Assessing content validity: challenges of conducting systematic reviews of patient-reported outcome measures and recommendations to improve the application of COSMIN guidance.

Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation·2026
Same author

Optimal Timing for Neonatal Hearing Screening in Well-Babies.

International journal of neonatal screening·2026
Same author

Reliability and validity of the Persian version of the arm function in multiple sclerosis questionnaire-short form (AMSQ-SF) for assessing upper limb function in multiple Sclerosis patients.

Disability and rehabilitation·2026
Same author

Intra- and inter-observer reliability of ultrasound muscle thickness of gluteal and biceps femoris long head in individuals with and without SCI.

Clinical physiology and functional imaging·2026
Same journal

AI-enabled GRADE: How the GRADE Working Group will use automation to rate the certainty of evidence of intervention effects.

Journal of clinical epidemiology·2026
Same journal

Harms Reporting Was Frequently Incomplete or Discordant in Biomedical Randomized Trials Published in 2023: A Meta-epidemiological Study.

Journal of clinical epidemiology·2026
Same journal

Using an Open Science Checklist in Grant Proposal Reviews to Predict Reproducibility of Funded Publications.

Journal of clinical epidemiology·2026
Same journal

A comparison of five statistical methods used to analyse longitudinal EORTC QLQ-C30 quality of life scores in randomised controlled trials: a simulation study.

Journal of clinical epidemiology·2026
Same journal

Sample Size Determination for Decision-centered Pragmatic Trials.

Journal of clinical epidemiology·2026
Same journal

Many multicenter randomized controlled trials do not account for center effect: a methodological review.

Journal of clinical epidemiology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 10, 2026

Measurement of Spatial Stability in Precision Grip
09:36

Measurement of Spatial Stability in Precision Grip

Published on: June 4, 2020

3.5K

The measurement properties reliability and measurement error explained - a COSMIN perspective.

Lidwine B Mokkink1, Iris Eekhout2

  • 1Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Methodology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
|November 20, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Reliability and measurement error are distinct. Measurement error quantifies score precision within individuals, while reliability assesses an instrument's ability to differentiate between individuals using statistical methods.

Keywords:
COSMINClassical test theoryIntraclass correlation coefficientMeasurement errorReliabilityStandard error of measurement

More Related Videos

The Frequency Domain Thermoreflectance Technique for Thermal Property Measurements
09:10

The Frequency Domain Thermoreflectance Technique for Thermal Property Measurements

Published on: December 5, 2025

447
Oscillation and Reaction Board Techniques for Estimating Inertial Properties of a Below-knee Prosthesis
08:08

Oscillation and Reaction Board Techniques for Estimating Inertial Properties of a Below-knee Prosthesis

Published on: May 8, 2014

17.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 10, 2026

Measurement of Spatial Stability in Precision Grip
09:36

Measurement of Spatial Stability in Precision Grip

Published on: June 4, 2020

3.5K
The Frequency Domain Thermoreflectance Technique for Thermal Property Measurements
09:10

The Frequency Domain Thermoreflectance Technique for Thermal Property Measurements

Published on: December 5, 2025

447
Oscillation and Reaction Board Techniques for Estimating Inertial Properties of a Below-knee Prosthesis
08:08

Oscillation and Reaction Board Techniques for Estimating Inertial Properties of a Below-knee Prosthesis

Published on: May 8, 2014

17.2K

Area of Science:

  • Measurement Science
  • Biostatistics
  • Health Research Methodology

Background:

  • Reliability and measurement error are crucial for evaluating measurement instrument quality.
  • Both properties are assessed using data from repeated measurements on stable individuals.
  • Despite their connection, they represent different aspects of measurement quality and are calculated differently.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To clarify the distinct concepts of reliability and measurement error.
  • To explain their relationship and how they are evaluated.
  • To illustrate the application of statistical methods like intraclass-correlation coefficients.

Main Methods:

  • The study explains the statistical definitions of measurement error and reliability.
  • It details how variation within and between individuals influences these properties.
  • Methods discussed include intraclass-correlation coefficients, standard error of measurement, and variance components.

Main Results:

  • Measurement error reflects score precision (within-individual variation).
  • Reliability indicates an instrument's capacity to distinguish individuals (between-individual variation and measurement error).
  • Evaluating reliability helps identify sources of variation impacting scores.

Conclusions:

  • Reliability and measurement error are distinct but related measurement properties.
  • Understanding these properties is essential for accurate and meaningful data interpretation.
  • Proper standardization of measurement sources can improve reliability.