From Interdisciplinary Research to Epistemic Trespassing

In recent years, the field of agingAging researchResearch has gained popularity, becoming an object of interest in many different disciplines. While this collaborative approach has led to significant advancements, it has also given rise to the phenomenon of epistemic trespassingEpistemic trespassing—experts making assertions outside their area of expertise, which may lead to erroneous conclusions and misconceptions, flawed conclusions susceptible to being spread in a wide fashion. By its very nature, agingAging researchResearch calls for a multidisciplinary approach because it borrows tools from such dissimilar areas as biology, medicine, psychology, and sociology, to name but a few, and while this fact certainly keeps the field alive and growing, it also allows for the proliferation of instances of epistemic trespassingEpistemic trespassing. The present paper examines the impact of this phenomenon with a multipronged approach; it explores its causes and consequences while posing a few potential mitigation strategies, and at its core lies an exhortation to the scientific community to combine interdisciplinary collaboration with a good dose of humility and peer-reviewed accountability. Acknowledging the existence and perils of epistemic trespassingEpistemic trespassing will only enhance the quality and reliabilityReliability of agingAging researchResearch, resulting in stronger policiesPolicy and a deeper understanding of the field.