Confidence Interval
A range of values, computed from sample data, that is likely to contain the true population parameter at a stated confidence level such as 95 percent.
A confidence interval gives a plausible range for an unknown population value, such as a mean or a difference between groups, based on your sample. A 95 percent confidence interval means that if the study were repeated many times, about 95 percent of the intervals constructed this way would contain the true value. Narrow intervals indicate precise estimates; wide intervals reflect small samples or high variability.
Confidence intervals convey more than a p-value alone because they show both the size of an effect and the uncertainty around it. An interval for a difference that excludes zero corresponds to a statistically significant result.
In a thesis, reporting confidence intervals alongside point estimates is increasingly expected. They let examiners judge the precision of your findings, make your limitations concrete, and support honest interpretation in the discussion chapter.
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