Guidance on the use of the weight of evidence approach in scientific assessments. (3rd August 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hardy, Anthony; Benford, Diane; Halldorsson, Thorhallur; Jeger, Michael John; Knutsen, Helle Katrine; More, Simon; Naegeli, Hanspeter; Noteborn, Hubert; Ockleford, Colin; Ricci, Antonia; Rychen, Guido; Schlatter, Josef R; Silano, Vittorio; Solecki, Roland; Turck, Dominique; Benfenati, Emilio; Chaudhry, Qasim Mohammad; Craig, Peter; Frampton, Geoff; Greiner, Matthias; Hart, Andrew; Hogstrand, Christer; Lambre, Claude; Luttik, Robert; Makowski, David; Siani, Alfonso; Wahlstroem, Helene; Aguilera, Jaime; Dorne, Jean‐Lou; Fernandez Dumont, Antonio; Hempen, Michaela; Valtueña Martínez, Silvia; Martino, Laura; Smeraldi, Camilla; Terron, Andrea; Georgiadis, Nikolaos; Younes, Maged;
• Is Part Of: EFSA journal. Volume 15:Number 8(2017)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2017-08-03
• Subjects: risk assessment -- weight of evidence -- biological relevance -- uncertainty -- lines of evidence; Food -- Europe -- Safety measures -- Periodicals; Food Safety; Food -- Safety measures; Europe; Periodicals; Periodicals; Fulltext; Government Publications, International; Internet Resources; Periodicals; Periodicals; 363.19209405
• DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4971
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1831-4732

Abstract

Abstract: EFSA requested the Scientific Committee to develop a guidance document on the use of the weight of evidence approach in scientific assessments for use in all areas under EFSA's remit. The guidance document addresses the use of weight of evidence approaches in scientific assessments using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Several case studies covering the various areas under EFSA's remit are annexed to the guidance document to illustrate the applicability of the proposed approach. Weight of evidence assessment is defined in this guidance as a process in which evidence is integrated to determine the relative support for possible answers to a question. This document considers the weight of evidence assessment as comprising three basic steps: (1) assembling the evidence into lines of evidence of similar type, (2) weighing the evidence, (3) integrating the evidence. The present document identifies reliability, relevance and consistency as three basic considerations for weighing evidence. Abstract : This publication is linked to the following EFSA Supporting Publications article:http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/sp.efsa.2017.EN-1295/full