# Analysis

The analysis_t type and its corresponding elements are used to document the collected output and/or results from an analysis or processing of data.

## Overview

An analysis is composed of the "inputs" (i.e. the files and parameters used in an analysis or processing of data), a list of the application(s) or method(s) used in the analysis, and the resultant data (i.e. values and output files):

Analysis Constituents

`provenance`

  The record of the origin and transformations applied to source data that produced this analysis. More information on this element can be found in .

`inputRef`

  References to the data file(s) that were used in the analysis.

`outputRef`

  Reference to the data file(s) generated by the analysis. Summary data or statistics may be generated from these files and noted inthe `measurementGroup` element.

`measurementGroup`

  A measurement group contains information and data related to the outcome of an analysis. For example, this could be a statistic (e.g. from a Statistical Parametric Map) or a measurement (e.g. the volume of the hippocmapus).

## Measurement Group

`measurementGroup` contains information and data related to the outcome of an analysis and is based on the measurementGroup_t type. Extending abstract_container_t, this allows for the annotation and documentation of the measurements being described. The measurements being described by this element are described by two specific elements:

Measurement Group Constituents

`entity`

  In the context of a measurement group, this is the entity being measured. For example, the hippocampus. In more complicated instances this could be an entity described by multiple entries, for example, in a region of interest analysis where multiple or multiple partial regions are involved.

`observation`

  In the context of a measurement group, these are the observations that are made concerning the entity. For example, following the hippocmapus example, this might store the total volume, surface area, etc.

The `entity` element is based on the abstract_entity_t type that allows for the definition of specific entity classes. Currently two such classes are defined:

Entity Classes

anatomicalEntity_t

  Defines an anatomical entity through a set of terms that name this entity. This set can contain a collection of synonymous terms. In addition to the anatomical region itself a laterality and tissue type can be specified to narrow the focus (e.g. left hippocampal gray metter).

atalsEntity_t

  Defines an atlas-based region through the definition of geometries. These are defined using the abstract_geometry_t type.

## Examples

## Reference

analysis_t

measurementGroup_t

atlasEntity_t

anatomicalEntity_t

provenance_t