Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Cohort Study | An observational study that follows groups of people over time to compare how often outcomes occur in those exposed and not exposed to a factor. Science General |
| Collective Narcissism | An exaggerated belief in the superiority of one's social ingroup, which frequently drives aggressive rejection of mainstream scientific consensus if it threatens the group’s image. Science Misinformation |
| Common Descent | The principle that all living organisms share common ancestors, supported by fossil, anatomical and genetic evidence. Evolution |
| Communicable | That which can be transmitted from one person or animal to another, infectious. Vaccines |
| Computer Simulation | An imitation of a real-life system, simplified and designed on a computer. See also "Scientific model". Science General |
| Confidence Interval | A range of values, calculated from the data, that is likely to contain the true value. Wide intervals signal uncertainty; narrow intervals signal precision. Science General |
| Confirmation (vs. Proof) | In science, evidence confirms or supports a theory rather than proving it absolutely. Strong theories are those that survive repeated attempts to disprove them. Science General |
| Confirmation Bias | The tendency to search for, interpret and remember information in ways that confirm what one already believes, while discounting evidence that contradicts it. Antiscience |
| Conflict of Interest | A situation in which a researcher's financial or personal interests could influence, or appear to influence, their work. Disclosure is required by most journals. Public Trust |
| Confounding Variable | A factor that influences both the supposed cause and the effect, creating a misleading association. For example, age can confound links between diet and disease. Science General |