The surveying and mapping profession has a long tradition of determining and minimizing error. Measurement errors are generally described in terms of accuracy. The general ways of quantifying positional accuracy is by using
Accuracy should not be confused with precision, which is a statement of the smallest unit of measurement to which data can be recorded. In conventional surveying and mapping practice, accuracy and precision are closely related. Instruments with an appropriate precision are employed, and surveying methods chosen, to meet specified tolerances in accuracy. In
The relationship between accuracy and precision can be clarified using graphs that display the probability distribution (see below) of a measurement against the true value T. In the Figure below, we depict the cases of good/bad accuracy against good/bad precision.
Student is abel to explain and apply quality assessment procedures (level 1, 2 and 3).