
This Open Access book shows how expert consensus pervades all areas of science. It explores, in particular, the role of consensus in establishing scientific truth, in guiding professional practice and policy and agreeing on what are acceptable scientific methodologies. For some scientific issues, a consensus forms spontaneously among scientists working on a topic, while for others, where the issues are complex, a formal deliberative consensus process is commonly needed. Deliberative consensus processes are becoming more important as scientists increasingly deal with complex multi-disciplinary issues of policy importance such as climate change due to human activity. While deliberative consensus processes are commonly used, they often lead to criticism from consensus skeptics. The book argues that deliberative consensus processes in science can be improved and proposes a number of realistic ways forward, ending with a discussion of whether communicating the scientific consensus on a topic is a good way to persuade the public.
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JB Society and culture: general::JBC Cultural and media studies::JBCT Media studies, practice guidelines, wisdom of crowds, Delphi method, trust in science, thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JB Society and culture: general, thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JH Sociology and anthropology::JHB Sociology, global warming, STS, decision making, thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PD Science: general issues::PDA Philosophy of science, research methods, climate change, consensus
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JB Society and culture: general::JBC Cultural and media studies::JBCT Media studies, practice guidelines, wisdom of crowds, Delphi method, trust in science, thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JB Society and culture: general, thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JH Sociology and anthropology::JHB Sociology, global warming, STS, decision making, thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PD Science: general issues::PDA Philosophy of science, research methods, climate change, consensus
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 5 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% |
