Expert

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An expert is basically someone widely recognized as a reliable source of knowledge for others. It is not easy to precisely state what an "expert" is; this is studied in epistemology under the general heading of expert knowledge.

In the field of medicine, a movement called "evidence-based medicine" ranks quantitative empirical analysis, such as double blind randomized controlled trials, above the judgements of experts, ie. medical professionals.

Experts can be contrasted with crankss, people who claim knowledge they are not recognized as having, and academic elitism, where individuals become convinced only they themselves understand their field of study.

See also: Expert system, Expert witness.

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