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How will you decide if this expert is well qualified?

Is Thomas Erikson a trustworthy psychologist?

Other examples

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 870883. The information and opinions on this website and other communications materials are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Commission.

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Sorry, that wasn’t the right answer

Thomas Erikson was proven to be a fraud – his book turned out to be one of the biggest pseudoscience scandals in recent history. Not only was the science behind his writings unreliable, but investigations into his background revealed his complete lack of experience in the field.

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!

Thomas Erikson was proven to be a fraud – his book turned out to be one of the biggest pseudoscience scandals in recent history. Not only was the science behind his writings unreliable, but investigations into his background revealed his complete lack of experience in the field.

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 wro ng with epistemic trespassing?
Epistemic tre spassing and expert witness testimony
Epist em ic neighbors: trespassing and the range of expert authority
Twitter t hre ad by Nathan Ballantyne on epistemic trespassing.
Episte mi c Trespassing
What is pse udoscience? Scientific American
Rep uta tion: what it is and w hy it matters
Defending L o ngi no’s Social Epistemology
The Leg itimacy of Pseudo-Expert Discourse in the Public Sphere

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