A note on error bars as a graphical representation of the variability of data in biomedical research: choosing between standard deviation and standard error of the mean

Abstract

Abstract. Standard deviation (SD) and standard error of the mean (SEM) have been applied widely as error bars in scientific plots. Unfortunately, there is no universally accepted principle addressing which of these 2 measures should be used. Here we seek to fill this gap by outlining the reasoning for choosing SEM over SD and hope to shed light on this unsettled disagreement among the biomedical community. The utility of SEM and SD as error bars is further discussed by examining the figures and plots published in 2 research articles on pancreatic disease.