Xmeasured

Xmeasured is a conceptual data model and encoding standard for representing numerical measurements and their metadata in a machine-readable form. It is designed to support interoperable data exchange across scientific disciplines, engineering, and industry by unifying the representation of measured values, units, precision, uncertainty, provenance, and method.

Core concepts center on recording the measured value along with the defined unit, an uncertainty or confidence indication, a timestamp, the instrument or method used, and provenance information such as data source and processing steps. The model emphasizes the separation of quantity, unit, and scale to enable consistent unit conversion and dimensional analysis, while allowing context to be attached to each measurement.

Encoding and schemas are envisioned as language-agnostic, with a compact serialisation in a JSON-LD based format and an optional XML schema. Xmeasured provides registries for units aligned with established unit systems, categories for quantity kinds (such as length, mass, temperature), and standard approaches to representing uncertainty. The design favors extensibility through namespaces and additional metadata fields to capture experimental conditions, location, and data lineage.

Relation to other standards: Xmeasured aims to complement, rather than replace, existing standards for units and quantities. It seeks to integrate with established vocabularies and ontologies, facilitating interoperability with systems that already support UCUM, QUDT, and related specifications, while offering a broader context for measurement metadata.

Status and adoption: As a relatively new proposal, Xmeasured has seen limited uptake in pilot repositories and some open-source tooling. Proponents argue it can improve interoperability and data provenance, whereas critics caution about added complexity and the need for cross-domain governance.

See also: UCUM, QUDT, data provenance, measurement standards.

References: [1] [2]