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CSSN Scholar Publications

“The Debunking Handbook 2020”: A consensus-based handbook of recommendations for correcting or preventing misinformation

October 14, 2020

Author(s): Dr. Stephan Lewandowsky, Dr. John Cook, Ulrich K.H. Ecker, et al.

The new handbook replaces the first Debunking Handbook published in 2011 by CSSN Scholars John Cook and Stephan Lewandowsky. The scientific knowledge about debunking has shifted considerably during the decade since publication of the first handbook. In addition to updating the science of debunking, The Debunking Handbook 2020 also sought to
represent the scientific consensus on debunking as of 2020.

The handbook is a consensus document that was created by an innovative process that involved a series of predefined steps, all of which were followed and documented and are publicly available. The authors were invited based on their scientific status in the field, and they all agreed on all points made in the handbook. The authors therefore believe that the new handbook reflects the scientific consensus about how to combat misinformation.