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How are you going to decide who is an expert in a particular field?

Should we trust Jordan Perterson on matters of environmental science?

Other examples

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Sorry, that wasn’t the right answer

Jordan Peterson has repeatedly criticised the reliance of climate science on models, as well as called the scientific evidence of extreme weather patterns as dubious. However, he doesn’t have any expertise on matters of climate, climate models, and environmental science. He is a psychologist and popular writer, who uses his social influence to debate topics outside his field of expertise .

Do you want to know more?

An expert should have training in their field of expertise. Can you find that training listed in their CV or somewhere else that is publicly available? Do they attend meetings and conferences and interact with their peers at these events? Do they have a good track record of experience in their field? Do other scientists refer to their work?

Here are some points that you should consider when you’re trying to determine who is a genuine expert in a particular field.

Does the expert have proof of their qualifications, like university degrees or professional achievements? Be careful of experts who exploit their high profile in one area of expertise to make recommendations on issues clearly unconnected to their field. This is called epistemic trespassing. ^{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
Recognition from peers is a crucial indicator of expertise. Do other experts in their shared field refer to them or the impact they’ve made? Is there evidence that they engage with other experts? ⁷
Experts who advise on policy should show awareness and sensitivity of the broader impacts of their advice. Is the expert willing to engage with the public on these issues? 8, 9

Additional resources

What’s wrong with epistemic trespassing?
Epistemic trespassing and expert witness testimony
Epistemic neighbors: trespassing and the range of expert authority
Twitter thread by Nathan Ballantyne on epistemic trespassing.
Epistemic Trespassing
What is pseudoscience? Scientific American
Reputation: what it is and why it matters
Defending Longino’s Social Epistemology
The Legitimacy of Pseudo-Expert Discourse in the Public Sphere

Well done – you were right!

Jordan Peterson has repeatedly criticised the reliance of climate science on models, as well as called the scientific evidence of extreme weather patterns as dubious. However, he doesn’t have any expertise on matters of climate, climate models, and environmental science. He is a psychologist and popular writer, who uses his social influence to debate topics outside his field of expertise .

Do you want to know more?

An expert should have training in their field of expertise. Can you find that training listed in their CV or somewhere else that is publicly available? Do they attend meetings and conferences and interact with their peers at these events? Do they have a good track record of experience in their field? Do other scientists refer to their work?

Here are some points that you should consider when you’re trying to determine who is a genuine expert in a particular field.

Does the expert have proof of their qualifications, like university degrees or professional achievements? Be careful of experts who exploit their high profile in one area of expertise to make recommendations on issues clearly unconnected to their field. This is called epistemic trespassing. ^{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
Recognition from peers is a crucial indicator of expertise. Do other experts in their shared field refer to them or the impact they’ve made? Is there evidence that they engage with other experts? ⁷
Experts who advise on policy should show awareness and sensitivity of the broader impacts of their advice. Is the expert willing to engage with the public on these issues? 8, 9

Additional resources

What’s wrong with epistemic trespassing?
Epistemic trespassing and expert witness testimony
Epistemic neighbors: trespassing and the range of expert authority
Twitter thread by Nathan Ballantyne on epistemic trespassing.
Epistemic Trespassing
What is pseudoscience? Scientific American
Reputation: what it is and why it matters
Defending Longino’s Social Epistemology
The Legitimacy of Pseudo-Expert Discourse in the Public Sphere

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