In statistics, a unit of observation is the unit described by the data that one analyzes. A study may treat groups as a unit of observation with a country as the unit of analysis, drawing conclusions on group characteristics from data collected at the national level. For example, in a study of the demand for money, the unit of observation might be chosen as the individual, with different observations (data points) for a given point in time differing as to which individual they refer to; or the unit of observation might be the country, with different observations differing only in regard to the country they refer to.
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Unit of observation in the context of Level of analysis
Level of analysis is used in the social sciences to point to the location, size, or scale of a research target. It is distinct from unit of observation in that the former refers to a more or less integrated set of relationships while the latter refers to the distinct unit from which data have been or will be gathered. Together, the unit of observation and the level of analysis help define the population of a research enterprise.
Unit of observation in the context of God's eye view
An Archimedean point (Latin: Punctum Archimedis) is a hypothetical viewpoint from which certain objective truths can perfectly be perceived (also known as a God's-eye view) or a reliable starting point from which one may reason. In other words, a view from an Archimedean point describes the ideal of removing oneself from the object of study so that one can see it in relation to all other things while remaining independent of them.
For example, the philosopher John Rawls uses the heuristic device of the original position in an attempt to remove the particular biases of individual agents to demonstrate how rational beings might arrive at an objective formulation of justice.