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Error bars commonly appear in figures in publications, but experimental biologists are often unsure how they should be used and interpreted. In this article we illustrate some basic features of error bars and explain how they can help communicate data and assist correct interpretation. Error bars may show confidence intervals, standard errors, standard deviations, or other quantities. Different types of error bars give quite different information, and so figure legends must make clear what error bars represent. We suggest eight simple rules to assist with effective use and interpretation of error bars.

Original publication

DOI

10.1083/jcb.200611141

Type

Journal article

Journal

J Cell Biol

Publication Date

09/04/2007

Volume

177

Pages

7 - 11

Keywords

Biology, Computer Graphics, Confidence Intervals, Data Interpretation, Statistical, Sample Size