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RDF Terms

Sample

Feature which is intended to be representative of a FeatureOfInterest on which Observations may be made.

A Sample is the result from an act of Sampling.

Physical samples are sometimes known as 'specimens'.

Samples are artifacts of an observational strategy, and have no significant function outside of their role in the observation process. The characteristics of the samples themselves are of little interest, except perhaps to the manager of a sampling campaign. A Sample is intended to sample some FatureOfInterest, so there is an expectation of at least one isSampleOf property. However, in some cases the identity, and even the exact type, of the sampled feature may not be known when observations are made using the sampling features.

Feature which is intended to be representative of a FeatureOfInterest on which Observations may be made.

A 'station' is essentially an identifiable locality where a sensor system or Procedure may be deployed and an observation made. In the context of the observation model, it connotes the 'world in the vicinity of the station', so the observed properties relate to the physical medium at the station, and not to any physical artifact such as a mooring, buoy, benchmark, monument, well, etc.

A statistical sample is often designed to be characteristic of an entire population, so that observations can be made regarding the sample that provide a good estimate of the properties of the population.

A transient sample, such as a ships-track or flight-line, might be identified and described, but is unlikely to be revisited exactly.