What do SEM (standard error of the mean) error bars tell you? How would you describe them in a figure caption for a graph? I know what regular error bars are, but I can't find any information on SEM error bars!
SEM (standard error of the mean) is a measure of uncertainty in a sample mean. It describes the typical amount of variability expected in the sample means if the experiment or study were to be repeated multiple times. SEM error bars provide information about the precision of the estimate of the mean.
To describe SEM error bars in a figure caption for a graph, you can say something like:
"Error bars represent the standard errors of the mean (SEM), showing the precision of the estimated means. SEM error bars quantify the expected variability in sample means if the study were to be repeated."
Alternatively, if space permits, you can provide a more detailed description by explaining what SEM represents:
"Error bars represent the standard errors of the mean (SEM). The SEM quantifies the uncertainty or variability in sample means. It provides an estimate of how much the sample means can be expected to differ from the true population mean if the study were to be repeated numerous times. SEM values reflect the precision of the mean estimate, with smaller SEM error bars indicating greater precision."