On the interpretation of the measurement equation

An appropriate understanding of the process of measurement and its results rests on the acknowledgment of the fundamental role played by the models of the object under measurement and of the relevant quantities. In this paper, we first introduce two strategies – stemming from a classical and a representational tradition respectively – to understand the information produced by measurement in the form of an equation stating that a certain value is to be assigned to certain measurand. Then we compare such strategies by discussing their different ability to take a model-based interpretation of measurement into account. The conclusion is that, when models enter the picture, the interpretation provided within the classical tradition is more adequate than the rival interpretation.