  The effects of any quantum measurement can be described by a collection of
measurement operators {M_m} acting on the quantum state of the measured system.
However, the Hilbert space formalism tends to obscure the relationship between
the measurement results and the physical properties of the measured system. In
this paper, a characterization of measurement operators in terms of measurement
resolution and disturbance is developed. It is then possible to formulate
uncertainty relations for the measurement process that are valid for arbitrary
input states. The motivation of these concepts is explained from a quantum
communication viewpoint. It is shown that the intuitive interpretation of
uncertainty as a relation between measurement resolution and disturbance
provides a valid description of measurement back action. Possible applications
to quantum cryptography, quantum cloning, and teleportation are discussed.
