Confidence Interval
Error Bar
A range of values (interval) that act as good estimates of the unknown overall population parameter.
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Origin
The modern concept was introduced by Jerzy Neyman in a 1937 paper, building on earlier work by R.A. Fisher on statistical estimation. Neyman proposed that rather than claiming a single “true” value, researchers should report a range of plausible values at a stated confidence level (e.g., 95%). The approach formalized uncertainty quantification and became standard practice across the sciences.
Updated February 22, 2026