Several strategies allow us to estimate the uncertainty of measurements or estimates even when the empiricist failed to explicitly report that uncertainty:
Automatic significant-digit uncertainty 12.3 → [12.25, 12.35]
Hedge words such as ‘about’, ‘less than’, etc.
Mean normal range (n & range → normal distribution)
Fermi strategies
Count to Poisson distribution
Equivalent binomial count (k out of n → confidence box)
Interval ranges
Moment or moment-range specifications
Automatic bias correction (see slides below)
Uncertainty penalty for expert elicitation (see slides below)