Christopher Kyba 🇨🇦🇪🇺May 28, 2025

EDIT: After you answer the poll, please reply with what your answer was, and what field you work in. With 70 votes in, the result shocks me!

Question for academics: if you read X±Y, what is your default assumption for what Y means if the authors didn't specify it?

(I just found out not everyone has the same answer, and I'm curious how widespread the "other" approach is.)

#Statistics

1σ
59.1%
2σ / 95% CI
40.9%
Poll ended at .
Show threadYaël M. (moved to sciences.re)
@skyglowberlin I would also say 1 sigma, but as a student (in astrophysics), I'm not aware of what is usual in the field... Anyway that is a good reminder to specify this! Also, I had a similar thought when plotting with error bars a few days ago
May 28, 2025 at 4:31pmWeb
Show threadChristopher Kyba 🇨🇦🇪🇺May 28, 2025

@astro_YII Both of my degrees were in "Physics and Astronomy" departments, and I'm pretty sure that it nearly uniformly means 1 sigma there.

(And if not stated almost always standard error rather than standard deviation.)