If a set of data is generally centered relative to the targeted value but is rather widely disbursed it would be said to be _____________.

In measurement systems analysis, accuracy and precision are distinct concepts. Accuracy refers to the closeness of the average of a set of measurements to the actual or target value. Precision refers to the closeness of the measurements to each other, indicating the degree of random variation or spread. The scenario describes data that is "generally centered relative to the targeted value," which signifies high accuracy. However, it is also "rather widely disbursed," which signifies low precision. Therefore, the data set is accurately centered on the target but lacks consistency in its measurements.

A. Precise but not accurate: This describes data points that are tightly clustered together but are far from the central target value.
C. Precise but skewed: "Precise" contradicts the "widely disbursed" nature of the data. Skewness refers to the asymmetry of a distribution, not its central tendency versus its spread.
D. Accurate but distributed: While technically correct that the data is "distributed," this term is too general. "Not precise" is the specific statistical term that correctly describes a wide disbursement.

1. Montgomery, D. C. (2013). Introduction to statistical quality control (7th ed.). Wiley. In Chapter 8, Section 8-2, "Sources of Variability," Montgomery distinguishes between accuracy ("the difference between the true value... and the observed average of the measurements") and precision ("the variability of the measurements when the measurement process is repeated"). The scenario aligns with the definition of an accurate but imprecise process.

2. MIT OpenCourseWare. (2005). 16.660J Introduction to Lean Six Sigma Methods, IAP 2012. Lecture 10: Measurement Systems Analysis. Slide 10 defines accuracy as the location of the data relative to the true value and precision as the spread of the data. A visual representation on this slide shows a target with shots that are centered on average but widely spread, labeled "Accurate, Not Precise."

3. Taylor, B. N., & Kuyatt, C. E. (1994). Guidelines for evaluating and expressing the uncertainty of NIST measurement results. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Technical Note 1297. In Appendix D, Section D.1.1.2, the document defines accuracy as the "closeness of agreement between the result of a measurement and a true value," while precision is defined as the "closeness of agreement among a set of results." This foundational document supports that a centered but widely disbursed set is accurate but not precise.