Open Questions in Scientific Consensus Messaging Research

In recent years, there has been considerable interest in studying and using scientific consensus messaging strategies to influence public opinion. Researchers disagree, sometimes vociferously, about how to examine the potential influence of consensus messaging, debating one another publicly and privately. In this essay, we take a step back and focus on some of the important questions that scholars might consider when researching scientific consensus messaging. Hopefully, reflecting on these questions will help researchers better understand the reasons for the different points of debate and improve the work moving forward.