Scientific consensus is the collective judgment of the vast majority of active, qualified experts in a particular field of study on a specific conclusion or question. It emerges from the self-correcting mechanisms of science: peer review, replication of results, scholarly debate, meta-analysis and the publication of review articles and guidelines in reputable journals.
Reaching consensus requires significant scientific agreement among qualified experts, based on a body of evidence that proposes credible cause-and-effect mechanisms and meets the burden of proof. The process occurs through conferences, publication, independent replication of results and ongoing debate within a discipline. In many countries, regulatory decisions — such as approving drugs or specifying health claims — are based on scientific consensus. While the debates that produce consensus are normal within science, they can appear to the public as uncertainty, making it difficult to communicate that a settled position exists. Consensus conferences are convened specifically to establish agreement on questions where the evidence has matured sufficiently.
The term appears in Field Notes: Wild animals can sequester an extra 6.41 gigatons of carbon per year, study finds.
