ABSTRACT
Thebasicempiricalprocedureisobservation.Bothmeasurement andexperimentinvolveobservation,whereasthelatterisoftendone withoutquantitativeprecision(i.e.withoutmeasuring)andwithout deliberatelychangingthevaluesofcertainvariables(i.e.withoutexperimenting).Theobjectofobservationis,ofcourse,anactualfact; theoutcomeofanactofobservationisadatum-asingularoran existentialpropositionexpressingsometraitsoftheresultofobserving.Anaturalordertofollowis,then:fact,observation,anddatum. Ourdiscussionwillclosewithanexaminationofthefunctionofobservationinscience.
