Measurement results depend upon assumptions, and some of those assumptions are theoretical in character. This paper examines particle physics measurements in which a measurement result depends upon a type of assumption for which that very same result may be evidentially relevant, thus raising a worry about potential circularity in argumentation. We demonstrate how the practice of evaluating measurement uncertainty serves to render any such evidential circularity epistemically benign. Our analysis shows how the evaluation and deployment of uncertainty evaluation constitutes an in practice solution to a particular form of Duhemian underdetermination that improves upon Duhem's vague notion of “good sense,” avoids holism, and reconciles theory dependence of measurement with piecemeal hypothesis testing.

测量结果取决于假设，其中一些假设是理论上的。本文研究了粒子物理测量，其中测量结果依赖于一种假设，同样的结果可能具有明显的相关性，因此引发了对论证中潜在循环性的担忧。我们展示了评估测量不确定性的实践如何使任何这种证据循环在认知上是良性的。我们的分析表明，不确定性评估的评估和部署如何构成对特定形式的 Duhemian 欠定的实践解决方案，该解决方案改进了 Duhem 的“良好感觉”模糊概念，避免了整体论，并将测量的理论依赖性与零碎的假设检验相协调。