descriptionA technique, method or technology used in an [Observation](https://schema.org/Observation), [StatisticalVariable](https://schema.org/StatisticalVariable) or [Dataset](https://schema.org/Dataset) (or [DataDownload](https://schema.org/DataDownload), [DataCatalog](https://schema.org/DataCatalog)), corresponding to the method used for measuring the corresponding variable(s) (for datasets, described using [variableMeasured](https://schema.org/variableMeasured); for [Observation](https://schema.org/Observation), a [StatisticalVariable](https://schema.org/StatisticalVariable)). Often but not necessarily each [variableMeasured](https://schema.org/variableMeasured) will have an explicit representation as (or mapping to) an property such as those defined in Schema.org, or other RDF vocabularies and "knowledge graphs". In that case the subproperty of [variableMeasured](https://schema.org/variableMeasured) called [measuredProperty](https://schema.org/measuredProperty) is applicable.
The [measurementTechnique](https://schema.org/measurementTechnique) property helps when extra clarification is needed about how a [measuredProperty](https://schema.org/measuredProperty) was measured. This is oriented towards scientific and scholarly dataset publication but may have broader applicability; it is not intended as a full representation of measurement, but can often serve as a high level summary for dataset discovery.
For example, if [variableMeasured](https://schema.org/variableMeasured) is: molecule concentration, [measurementTechnique](https://schema.org/measurementTechnique) could be: "mass spectrometry" or "nmr spectroscopy" or "colorimetry" or "immunofluorescence". If the [variableMeasured](https://schema.org/variableMeasured) is "depression rating", the [measurementTechnique](https://schema.org/measurementTechnique) could be "Zung Scale" or "HAM-D" or "Beck Depression Inventory".
If there are several [variableMeasured](https://schema.org/variableMeasured) properties recorded for some given data object, use a [PropertyValue](https://schema.org/PropertyValue) for each [variableMeasured](https://schema.org/variableMeasured) and attach the corresponding [measurementTechnique](https://schema.org/measurementTechnique). The value can also be from an enumeration, organized as a [MeasurementMethodEnum](https://schema.org/MeasurementMethodEnum).
