vaatlusandmestikul

Vaatlusandmestikul is a term used in Estonian statistics and data science. It is the adessive form of vaatlusandmestik, meaning the observational dataset. The word is formed from vaatlus (observation) and andmestik (dataset), with the adessive suffix -l, yielding a phrase that translates roughly as “on the observational dataset.” In scholarly writing it is used to indicate the data source, context, or basis for an analysis, rather than data collected in a controlled experiment.

Usage of the term typically appears in phrases such as vaatlusandmestikul põhinev analüüs (analysis based on an observational dataset) or vaatlusandmestikul kogutud andmed (data collected from an observational dataset). It helps distinguish observational study data from data produced in experiments, simulations, or other data-generating processes. The distinction is common in fields like epidemiology, ecology, social science, and other disciplines that rely on real-world observations rather than controlled experiments.

Etymology and form: vaatlusandmestikul is built from the components vaatlus and andmestik, combined with the -ul adessive suffix, which marks location or basis in Estonian. The term is primarily used in written Estonian and appears in methodological sections, data descriptions, and results discussions to specify the provenance of the data.

See also: vaatlusandmestik, vaatlusteadus (observational science), eksperimentaalne andmestik (experimental dataset).