The extragalactic distance scale. I - Corrections to fundamental observables

Corrections for aperture, projection, and adsorption effects that influence four observable parameters that describe the global properties of galaxies - blue magnitudes, infrared magnitudes, diameters, and H I line widths - are examined, and tests of the homogeneity of the data sets are described. The principal tests described involve minimization of the scatter in four distance-independent combinations of the observable parameters. The tests are applied in an attempt to resolve the diameter scale problem and to optimize the procedures that correct luminosities and diameters as functions of galaxy tilt and local obscuration. The H I line profile parameter is also discussed.