The results of scientific studies should be accompanied by information that individuals can use to make uncertainty judgements. By including this information, we might increase trust in the scientific process. We advocate for scientists to use quantitative uncertainty informative data to provide this information when reporting results.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
/* style specs end */
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$29.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 digital issues and online access to articles
$119.00 per year
only $9.92 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
/* style specs start */
style {
display: none !important;
}
.LiveAreaSection * {
align-content: stretch;
align-items: stretch;
align-self: auto;
animation-delay: 0s;
animation-direction: normal;
animation-duration: 0s;
animation-fill-mode: none;
animation-iteration-count: 1;
animation-name: none;
animation-play-state: running;
animation-timing-function: ease;
azimuth: center;
backface-visibility: visible;
background-attachment: scroll;
background-blend-mode: normal;
background-clip: borderBox;
background-color: transparent;
background-image: none;
background-origin: paddingBox;
background-position: 0 0;
background-repeat: repeat;
background-size: auto auto;
block-size: auto;
border-block-end-color: currentcolor;
border-block-end-style: none;
border-block-end-width: medium;
border-block-start-color: currentcolor;
border-block-start-style: none;
border-block-start-width: medium;
border-bottom-color: currentcolor;
border-bottom-left-radius: 0;
border-bottom-right-radius: 0;
border-bottom-style: none;
border-bottom-width: medium;
border-collapse: separate;
border-image-outset: 0s;
border-image-repeat: stretch;
border-image-slice: 100%;
border-image-source: none;
border-image-width: 1;
border-inline-end-color: currentcolor;
border-inline-end-style: none;
border-inline-end-width: medium;
border-inline-start-color: currentcolor;
border-inline-start-style: none;
border-inline-start-width: medium;
border-left-color: currentcolor;
border-left-style: none;
border-left-width: medium;
border-right-color: currentcolor;
border-right-style: none;
border-right-width: medium;
border-spacing: 0;
border-top-color: currentcolor;
border-top-left-radius: 0;
border-top-right-radius: 0;
border-top-style: none;
border-top-width: medium;
bottom: auto;
box-decoration-break: slice;
box-shadow: none;
box-sizing: border-box;
break-after: auto;
break-before: auto;
break-inside: auto;
caption-side: top;
caret-color: auto;
clear: none;
clip: auto;
clip-path: none;
color: initial;
column-count: auto;
column-fill: balance;
column-gap: normal;
column-rule-color: currentcolor;
column-rule-style: none;
column-rule-width: medium;
column-span: none;
column-width: auto;
content: normal;
counter-increment: none;
counter-reset: none;
cursor: auto;
display: inline;
empty-cells: show;
filter: none;
flex-basis: auto;
flex-direction: row;
flex-grow: 0;
flex-shrink: 1;
flex-wrap: nowrap;
float: none;
font-family: initial;
font-feature-settings: normal;
font-kerning: auto;
font-language-override: normal;
font-size: medium;
font-size-adjust: none;
font-stretch: normal;
font-style: normal;
font-synthesis: weight style;
font-variant: normal;
font-variant-alternates: normal;
font-variant-caps: normal;
font-variant-east-asian: normal;
font-variant-ligatures: normal;
font-variant-numeric: normal;
font-variant-position: normal;
font-weight: 400;
grid-auto-columns: auto;
grid-auto-flow: row;
grid-auto-rows: auto;
grid-column-end: auto;
grid-column-gap: 0;
grid-column-start: auto;
grid-row-end: auto;
grid-row-gap: 0;
grid-row-start: auto;
grid-template-areas: none;
grid-template-columns: none;
grid-template-rows: none;
height: auto;
hyphens: manual;
image-orientation: 0deg;
image-rendering: auto;
image-resolution: 1dppx;
ime-mode: auto;
inline-size: auto;
isolation: auto;
justify-content: flexStart;
left: auto;
letter-spacing: normal;
line-break: auto;
line-height: normal;
list-style-image: none;
list-style-position: outside;
list-style-type: disc;
margin-block-end: 0;
margin-block-start: 0;
margin-bottom: 0;
margin-inline-end: 0;
margin-inline-start: 0;
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0;
margin-top: 0;
mask-clip: borderBox;
mask-composite: add;
mask-image: none;
mask-mode: matchSource;
mask-origin: borderBox;
mask-position: 0 0;
mask-repeat: repeat;
mask-size: auto;
mask-type: luminance;
max-height: none;
max-width: none;
min-block-size: 0;
min-height: 0;
min-inline-size: 0;
min-width: 0;
mix-blend-mode: normal;
object-fit: fill;
object-position: 50% 50%;
offset-block-end: auto;
offset-block-start: auto;
offset-inline-end: auto;
offset-inline-start: auto;
opacity: 1;
order: 0;
orphans: 2;
outline-color: initial;
outline-offset: 0;
outline-style: none;
outline-width: medium;
overflow: visible;
overflow-wrap: normal;
overflow-x: visible;
overflow-y: visible;
padding-block-end: 0;
padding-block-start: 0;
padding-bottom: 0;
padding-inline-end: 0;
padding-inline-start: 0;
padding-left: 0;
padding-right: 0;
padding-top: 0;
page-break-after: auto;
page-break-before: auto;
page-break-inside: auto;
perspective: none;
perspective-origin: 50% 50%;
pointer-events: auto;
position: static;
quotes: initial;
resize: none;
right: auto;
ruby-align: spaceAround;
ruby-merge: separate;
ruby-position: over;
scroll-behavior: auto;
scroll-snap-coordinate: none;
scroll-snap-destination: 0 0;
scroll-snap-points-x: none;
scroll-snap-points-y: none;
scroll-snap-type: none;
shape-image-threshold: 0;
shape-margin: 0;
shape-outside: none;
tab-size: 8;
table-layout: auto;
text-align: initial;
text-align-last: auto;
text-combine-upright: none;
text-decoration-color: currentcolor;
text-decoration-line: none;
text-decoration-style: solid;
text-emphasis-color: currentcolor;
text-emphasis-position: over right;
text-emphasis-style: none;
text-indent: 0;
text-justify: auto;
text-orientation: mixed;
text-overflow: clip;
text-rendering: auto;
text-shadow: none;
text-transform: none;
text-underline-position: auto;
top: auto;
touch-action: auto;
transform: none;
transform-box: borderBox;
transform-origin: 50% 50%0;
transform-style: flat;
transition-delay: 0s;
transition-duration: 0s;
transition-property: all;
transition-timing-function: ease;
vertical-align: baseline;
visibility: visible;
white-space: normal;
widows: 2;
width: auto;
will-change: auto;
word-break: normal;
word-spacing: normal;
word-wrap: normal;
writing-mode: horizontalTb;
z-index: auto;
-webkit-appearance: none;
-moz-appearance: none;
-ms-appearance: none;
appearance: none;
margin: 0;
}
.LiveAreaSection {
width: 100%;
}
.LiveAreaSection .login-option-buybox {
display: block;
width: 100%;
font-size: 17px;
line-height: 30px;
color: #222;
padding-top: 30px;
font-family: Harding, Palatino, serif;
}
.LiveAreaSection .additional-access-options {
display: block;
font-weight: 700;
font-size: 17px;
line-height: 30px;
color: #222;
font-family: Harding, Palatino, serif;
}
.LiveAreaSection .additional-login > li:not(:first-child)::before {
transform: translateY(-50%);
content: “”;
height: 1rem;
position: absolute;
top: 50%;
left: 0;
border-left: 2px solid #999;
}
.LiveAreaSection .additional-login > li:not(:first-child) {
padding-left: 10px;
}
.LiveAreaSection .additional-login > li {
display: inline-block;
position: relative;
vertical-align: middle;
padding-right: 10px;
}
.BuyBoxSection {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
flex: 1;
flex-direction: row-reverse;
margin: -30px -15px 0;
}
.BuyBoxSection .box-inner {
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
padding: 30px 5px;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
justify-content: space-between;
}
.BuyBoxSection p {
margin: 0;
}
.BuyBoxSection .readcube-buybox {
background-color: #f3f3f3;
flex-shrink: 1;
flex-grow: 1;
flex-basis: 255px;
background-clip: content-box;
padding: 0 15px;
margin-top: 30px;
}
.BuyBoxSection .subscribe-buybox {
background-color: #f3f3f3;
flex-shrink: 1;
flex-grow: 4;
flex-basis: 300px;
background-clip: content-box;
padding: 0 15px;
margin-top: 30px;
}
.BuyBoxSection .subscribe-buybox-nature-plus {
background-color: #f3f3f3;
flex-shrink: 1;
flex-grow: 4;
flex-basis: 100%;
background-clip: content-box;
padding: 0 15px;
margin-top: 30px;
}
.BuyBoxSection .title-readcube,
.BuyBoxSection .title-buybox {
display: block;
margin: 0;
margin-right: 10%;
margin-left: 10%;
font-size: 24px;
line-height: 32px;
color: #222;
text-align: center;
font-family: Harding, Palatino, serif;
}
.BuyBoxSection .title-asia-buybox {
display: block;
margin: 0;
margin-right: 5%;
margin-left: 5%;
font-size: 24px;
line-height: 32px;
color: #222;
text-align: center;
font-family: Harding, Palatino, serif;
}
.BuyBoxSection .asia-link,
.Link-328123652,
.Link-2926870917,
.Link-2291679238,
.Link-595459207 {
color: #069;
cursor: pointer;
text-decoration: none;
font-size: 1.05em;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto,
Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, “Helvetica Neue”, sans-serif;
line-height: 1.05em6;
}
.BuyBoxSection .access-readcube {
display: block;
margin: 0;
margin-right: 10%;
margin-left: 10%;
font-size: 14px;
color: #222;
padding-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto,
Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, “Helvetica Neue”, sans-serif;
line-height: 20px;
}
.BuyBoxSection ul {
margin: 0;
}
.BuyBoxSection .link-usp {
display: list-item;
margin: 0;
margin-left: 20px;
padding-top: 6px;
list-style-position: inside;
}
.BuyBoxSection .link-usp span {
font-size: 14px;
color: #222;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto,
Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, “Helvetica Neue”, sans-serif;
line-height: 20px;
}
.BuyBoxSection .access-asia-buybox {
display: block;
margin: 0;
margin-right: 5%;
margin-left: 5%;
font-size: 14px;
color: #222;
padding-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto,
Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, “Helvetica Neue”, sans-serif;
line-height: 20px;
}
.BuyBoxSection .access-buybox {
display: block;
margin: 0;
margin-right: 10%;
margin-left: 10%;
font-size: 14px;
color: #222;
opacity: 0.8px;
padding-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto,
Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, “Helvetica Neue”, sans-serif;
line-height: 20px;
}
.BuyBoxSection .price-buybox {
display: block;
font-size: 30px;
color: #222;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto,
Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, “Helvetica Neue”, sans-serif;
padding-top: 30px;
text-align: center;
}
.BuyBoxSection .price-buybox-to {
display: block;
font-size: 30px;
color: #222;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto,
Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, “Helvetica Neue”, sans-serif;
text-align: center;
}
.BuyBoxSection .price-info-text {
font-size: 16px;
padding-right: 10px;
color: #222;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto,
Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, “Helvetica Neue”, sans-serif;
}
.BuyBoxSection .price-value {
font-size: 30px;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto,
Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, “Helvetica Neue”, sans-serif;
}
.BuyBoxSection .price-per-period {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto,
Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, “Helvetica Neue”, sans-serif;
}
.BuyBoxSection .price-from {
font-size: 14px;
padding-right: 10px;
color: #222;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto,
Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, “Helvetica Neue”, sans-serif;
line-height: 20px;
}
.BuyBoxSection .issue-buybox {
display: block;
font-size: 13px;
text-align: center;
color: #222;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto,
Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, “Helvetica Neue”, sans-serif;
line-height: 19px;
}
.BuyBoxSection .no-price-buybox {
display: block;
font-size: 13px;
line-height: 18px;
text-align: center;
padding-right: 10%;
padding-left: 10%;
padding-bottom: 20px;
padding-top: 30px;
color: #222;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto,
Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, “Helvetica Neue”, sans-serif;
}
.BuyBoxSection .vat-buybox {
display: block;
margin-top: 5px;
margin-right: 20%;
margin-left: 20%;
font-size: 11px;
color: #222;
padding-top: 10px;
padding-bottom: 15px;
text-align: center;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto,
Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, “Helvetica Neue”, sans-serif;
line-height: 17px;
}
.BuyBoxSection .tax-buybox {
display: block;
width: 100%;
color: #222;
padding: 20px 16px;
text-align: center;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto,
Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, “Helvetica Neue”, sans-serif;
line-height: NaNpx;
}
.BuyBoxSection .button-container {
display: flex;
padding-right: 20px;
padding-left: 20px;
justify-content: center;
}
.BuyBoxSection .button-container > * {
flex: 1px;
}
.BuyBoxSection .button-container > a:hover,
.Button-505204839:hover,
.Button-1078489254:hover,
.Button-2737859108:hover {
text-decoration: none;
}
.BuyBoxSection .btn-secondary {
background: #fff;
}
.BuyBoxSection .button-asia {
background: #069;
border: 1px solid #069;
border-radius: 0;
cursor: pointer;
display: block;
padding: 9px;
outline: 0;
text-align: center;
text-decoration: none;
min-width: 80px;
margin-top: 75px;
}
.BuyBoxSection .button-label-asia,
.ButtonLabel-3869432492,
.ButtonLabel-3296148077,
.ButtonLabel-1636778223 {
display: block;
color: #fff;
font-size: 17px;
line-height: 20px;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, “Segoe UI”, Roboto,
Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, “Helvetica Neue”, sans-serif;
text-align: center;
text-decoration: none;
cursor: pointer;
}
.Button-505204839,
.Button-1078489254,
.Button-2737859108 {
background: #069;
border: 1px solid #069;
border-radius: 0;
cursor: pointer;
display: block;
padding: 9px;
outline: 0;
text-align: center;
text-decoration: none;
min-width: 80px;
max-width: 320px;
margin-top: 20px;
}
.Button-505204839 .btn-secondary-label,
.Button-1078489254 .btn-secondary-label,
.Button-2737859108 .btn-secondary-label {
color: #069;
}
.uList-2102244549 {
list-style: none;
padding: 0;
margin: 0;
}
/* style specs end */
References
-
Wong, C. Nature 626, 704 (2024).
Google Scholar
-
Hoekstra, R. & Vazire, S. Nat. Hum. Behav. 5, 1602–1607 (2021).
Google Scholar
-
Allison, D. B. & Cruz-Cano, R. Issues Sci. Technol. XXXIX, 20–21 (2023).
-
Bernoulli, J. Ars Conjectandi (1713).
-
Rosenthal, J. A. J. Soc. Serv. Res. 21, 37–59 (1996).
Google Scholar
-
Hill, A. B. Proc. R. Soc. Med. 58, 295–300 (1965).
Google Scholar
-
Deemer, S. E., Owora, A. H. & Allison, D. B. JAMA Pediatr. 176, 639–641 (2022).
Google Scholar
-
Baron, J. H. Nutr. Rev. 67, 315–332 (2009).
Google Scholar
-
Owora, A. H. et al. Significance 19, 20–23 (2022).
Google Scholar
-
Dienes, Z. Front. Psychol. 5, 781 (2014).
Google Scholar
-
Stevens, S. S. Science 103, 677–680 (1946).
Google Scholar
-
Bergmann, S., Niland, H., Gavidia, V. L., Strum, M. D. & Harman, M. J. Educ. Treat. Child. 46, 201–220 (2023).
Google Scholar
-
Nili, A., Tate, M., Barros, A. & Johnstone, D. Int. J. Inf. Manage. 54, 102154 (2020).
Google Scholar
-
Nimon, K. F. Front. Psychol. 3, 322 (2012).
Google Scholar
-
Killip, S., Mahfoud, Z. & Pearce, K. Ann. Fam. Med. 2, 204–208 (2004).
Google Scholar
-
Turner, E. L., Li, F., Gallis, J. A., Prague, M. & Murray, D. M. Am. J. Public Health 107, 907–915 (2017).
Google Scholar
Acknowledgements
We thank L. Giles, at BioScience Writers, and P. Vasquez for their assistance in writing this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
D.B.A. holds stock or stock options in Zero Longevity Science, and is a consultant for Ro and Novo Nordisk Foundation. R.C.-C. declares no competing interests.
Peer review
Peer review information
Nature Human Behaviour thanks Stephanie Budgett and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.
Rights and permissions
Reprints and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cruz-Cano, R., Allison, D.B. Report uncertainty information to improve trust in science.
Nat Hum Behav (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-02084-3
-
Published: 11 December 2024
-
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-02084-3