What is the difference between inference and observation?

An observation is something that you "look" and "record" as a statement. It can be as simple as "It is bright outside." Or "The swans in the lake are white." Or even, "The song <insert name of the song you like> is nice. read more

Observation vs Inference. Observation can be called as the process of gathering data and inference can be said to be a process of taking decisions about the gathered data. While Observation can be said to be a factual description, inference is an explanation to the collected data. read more

Observation is more of recording or remarking an event or phenomena, whereas an inference is what you make of that observation or what conclusion you draw from it. An inference may or may not depend on the said observation only, it may involve other observations. read more

The primary difference between an observation and an inference is that the former is experienced first-hand while the latter is based on second-hand information. An observation is the gathering of facts through paying close attention to something in order to get information, whereas an inference is the act or process of reaching a conclusion based on facts already known. read more