Unnamed expert
Cites vague or anonymous authority to lend credibility.
Specimen
Scientists say the long-term effects of this approach are deeply concerning, and action is needed now.
Fabricated passage — teaching example designed for clarity.
unnamed expert — vague authority substitutes for a specific claim
Dissection
Scientists say the long-term effects of this approach are deeply concerning.
- no institution named
- no study cited
- which scientists?
Field notes
- Family
- False authority
- Habitat
- health reporting, science journalism, policy coverage
- Frequency
- found in 18% of analyzed articles
- Confused with
- Bandwagon , Misleading statistic
In the wild
"Researchers warn that continued exposure could have serious consequences for public health."
Health section, regional daily, March 2026
"Economists agree that the current path is unsustainable."
Business reporting, national broadsheet, February 2026
Why it works
'Scientists say' pattern-matches to trustworthy. The authority signal is processed before the brain asks whether an authority was actually cited.
Counter-move
Ask: which scientists? Where was this published? What were the actual findings?
See it flagged in real articles while you read.
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