What is margin of error?

The margin of error refers specifically to the range within which we can expect the true population parameter to fall based on our sample data. It is a critical concept in statistics, especially in the context of confidence intervals. The margin of error provides an estimate of the uncertainty surrounding a sample statistic, such as a sample mean or proportion.

When researchers report survey results, they often include a margin of error to indicate the degree of uncertainty associated with the findings. For example, if a survey reports that 60% of respondents support a particular policy with a margin of error of ±3%, this means that the actual support in the broader population is likely between 57% and 63%.

This definition distinguishes margin of error from other statistical concepts, such as range, which measures the spread between the highest and lowest values, or standard deviation, which measures the average deviation from the mean. The accuracy in conveying potential variability in estimates is why the definition focusing on the maximum allowable distance from the true population value captures the essence of what margin of error represents in statistical analysis.