... do surveyors “practice” within their profession the same way doctors and lawyers do theirs? Which of course requires the term “practice” to be defined.
Medical treatment is a combination of art and science and jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. With these very very broad concepts is would seem to me that doctoring and lawyering has OPINION as a key component. The opinion should be based on proper education and experience with well reasoned, carefully considered facts. Therefore the term “practice” distills down - at its most basic level - to an opinion. Professionals give opinions to the public for which they take responsibility.
So yes, by my definition, surveyors “practice” surveying and are therefore professionals. I just would like utilize a term that is related to surveying but not with the same linguistic root (i.e. doctors practice medicine and lawyers practice jurisprudence). Surveyors practice _____________?
Surveyors practice spacial measurements?
Measuring is certainly part of surveying and a measurement is a surveyor's opinion (see Buckner's NATURE OF MEASUREMENT).
Geodesy seems to be the best contender but I'm not convinced. "Surveyors practice Geodesy"? seems to miss smaller, local projects. Also I am coming to the opinion that the preparation, interpretation and application of the description of real property is truly at the heart of the practice. The technical components are important but not the heart of the practice.
Need a combination of words (in Latin?) that means something like perceiving or reckoning land and telling a story or giving a report.
What about:
surveyors practice Terra Testimonium
We don't need any more practice. We need a paying gig.
> So yes, by my definition, surveyors “practice” surveying and are therefore professionals. I just would like utilize a term that is related to surveying but not with the same linguistic root (i.e. doctors practice medicine and lawyers practice jurisprudence). Surveyors practice _____________?
Apparently, a lot of surveyors practice Omphaloskepsis 😉
I've been puzzling over this question and can't come up with one word that really captures the profession.
The measurement is basically a science....
But, the interpretation of the evidence is more of an art.
And, the assemblage of ALL of it is Professionalism.
N
> ... do surveyors “practice” within their profession the same way doctors and lawyers do theirs? Which of course requires the term “practice” to be defined.
>
> Medical treatment is a combination of art and science and jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. With these very very broad concepts is would seem to me that doctoring and lawyering has OPINION as a key component. The opinion should be based on proper education and experience with well reasoned, carefully considered facts. Therefore the term “practice” distills down - at its most basic level - to an opinion. Professionals give opinions to the public for which they take responsibility.
>
> So yes, by my definition, surveyors “practice” surveying and are therefore professionals. I just would like utilize a term that is related to surveying but not with the same linguistic root (i.e. doctors practice medicine and lawyers practice jurisprudence). Surveyors practice _____________?
.... and practice and practice...............
Surveyors practice property boundary determination.
To be more technically correct I would say Land surveyors practice property boundary determination. Surveyors perform (not practice) construction layout, topographic surveying, industrial alignment, as-built mapping, etc.
Stephen
Geomatics
Agrimensory lex specialis...specific land mesurement laws.
Or just Lex Agrimensory: legal land measurement
Geomatics = numbers, nothing to do with the day to day requirements of boundary determination. A term created by academia as an attempt to place more status in a title. A term that when I hear used by a group of people to describe themselves, I equate them with math teachers that have little interest or the personality for day to day surveying or boundary law. Boundary's usually only require plane surveying methods. The need for plane surveying has survived for as long a written history exists and will continue to be needed as long as man exists, the need for high math and long distance measurement on our planet has a very limited application to the common man and his day to day needs.
jud
Doncha know that thinking can get you in trouble 😉
Surveyors don't need to practice, they preform surveys...
Surveying is a legal profession and the surveyor functions in an area of law that is inaccessable to lawyers.
Remember, boundary locations are fixed by physical evidence, not words on a piece of paper; the words only tell the surveyor where to look.
Surveyors practice boundary law.
Richard Schaut
> So yes, by my definition, surveyors “practice” surveying and are therefore professionals.
My 2 pennies: the term practice or practitioner is outdated & flowery, and has nothing to do with denoting one as a professional - let the docs & lawyers keep it. Asking what it is that surveyors practice is akin to asking what do engineers practice? - the unsurprising answer is surveying for the former, engineering for the latter. You certainly don't hear the terms surveying or engineering practitioner, but in no way does that imply either is not a profession / professional.
