Measurement and simulation: A conceptual framework

The relationship between measurement and simulation is a key topic for both metrology and philosophy of science, posing fundamental questions about the epistemic status of empirical experimentation and computational modeling. With the aim of shedding light on this complex interplay, an analytical framework is proposed for understanding the general structure of measurement and simulation. The analysis shows that simulation is appropriately interpreted as a possible component of the computation module of indirect measurement, and not as a kind of measurement in itself. This clarification allows us to offer important insights into the epistemic status of both measurement and simulation, to operationally relate them in their functional roles as information-production processes, and ultimately to emphasize the staying meaning of measurement in our data-flooded society. • A structural framework for clarifying simulation and measurement is proposed. • Simulation and measurement are decomposed into modular steps. • Simulation is a component of indirect measurement. • Simulation is discussed in light of its epistemic status. • Some implications for the foundations of measurement are highlighted.