Perobservation

Perobservation is a neologism used in some niche discussions to denote a unit of analysis defined by a single observation, or a rate expressed relative to individual observations. The term is not widely recognized in major dictionaries and has no standard definition in formal disciplines.

Etymology: It is formed from the English preposition per, meaning "for each", combined with observation, the act of noticing or recording a fact. It is sometimes written as per-observation or as two words, depending on the author. Its meaning is inferred from context rather than fixed.

Possible meanings: In data analysis, perobservation may describe quantities expressed per observation unit, such as events per observation. It can serve as an alternative to per-capita or per-sample metrics, helping to normalize results when counts are tied to the number of observations rather than time. In experimental reporting, it could indicate results reported per observed instance rather than per time interval.

Usage considerations: Because the term is not standardized, readers may misinterpret it. When used, it should be defined explicitly, including what constitutes an observation and how rates are calculated. It can be confused with the common phrase per observation; authors should avoid ambiguity by using a conventional metric (for example, "events per observation unit" or "per observation count").

See also: normalization, rate, per-capita, observational study, data normalization.