Help in understanding the graphs in research papers

When one sees graphs that are published in research papers and journal
articles, all data points have little rods with bars on them
protruding from them on either side..
What are these for and how does one interpret them?

Thanks

"SK381" <[Only registered users see links. ]> wrote in message news:1d0ed683.0402251233.61aa425b@posting.google.c om...

When present, these are usually error bars, showing the statistical standard deviation of the each measurement.

Bevan

"SK381" <[Only registered users see links. ]> wrote in message
news:1d0ed683.0402251233.61aa425b@posting.google.c om...

During the important "data-fudging" stage just before publication, the
authors use a computer mouse to move the data points around to better
support their theory. As they move the points, the little bars grow, kind
of like Pinocchio's nose. So the longer the bar, the less trust you should
put in the data.

"Richard Henry" <[Only registered users see links. ]> wrote in message
news:68c%b.1341$h23.27@fed1read06...
should

Anyone who does that can't be a good scientist. A good scientist leaves no
traces when he "adjusts" the data.

"Marvin Margoshes" <[Only registered users see links. ]> wrote in message news:<[Only registered users see links. ]>...

GOOGLE: data smoothing ~330,000
"error bars" ~424,000


Mark