is about
is_about
measurement datum
evidence line
evidence strength
Consider also framing as categorical measurement values?:
A categorical measurement reflecting an agent's cognitive quantification of the degree of support (s)he believes an evidence line to provide for a particular proposition.
A data item that quantifies the degree of support an agent believes an evidence line to provide for a particular proposition.
The strength of a line of evidence typically depends on the *type* and *quality* of the study(ies) that generate its supporting evidence items.
1. Type of Study: In a particular domain of research, certain types of studies are commonly held to produce data that is more meaningful and reliable than others, as evidence for a particular type of assertion. These more reliable studies tend to draw on experimental systems that more accurately replicate the natural phenomenon being studied, and experimental designs that reduce confounding variables and biases. For example, in vivo studies of gene function provide stronger evidence than in vitro systems that may not replicate all aspects of the biology of a living system, and randomized controlled clinical trials are held to be more reliable than retrospective or case control studies that are more susceptible to confounding factors.
2. Quality of Study: A given study can be performed to varying degrees of rigor and comprehensiveness, irrespective of the type of study it represents. This is another important factor in assessing the overall strength of evidence it may produce. Higher quality studies will have carefully defined controls, and be replicated numerous times to ensure reproducibility. Other factors that are often used as secondary indicators of the quality of research data include the quality of the journal in which it is published, and the reputation of the lab or institution performing the study.
In SEPIO, the notion of evidence quality is captured in an attribute separate from the notion of evidence strength. And the notion of study type can be represented in the type assigned to a study instance, or the evidence code used to type an evidence line (which are often based on the type of study that produced the evidence data). Evidence strength typically relies on assessment of one or both of these more fundamental attributes of evidence.