Consensus

What is Consensus?

Consensus is a search engine designed to help people find evidence-based answers directly from research papers. It uses AI to extract insights from scientific studies faster and more efficiently, aiming to connect researchers with the general public by making reliable information easy to find.

Consensus analyzes and summarizes complex research papers, evaluating factors like study quality, sample size, and statistical significance to help ensure the information is trustworthy and relevant. It is especially useful for students, healthcare professionals, and anyone seeking evidence-backed knowledge. Features include custom libraries, annotation tools, and collaboration options, with privacy and data security built in.

Who created Consensus?

Consensus was founded by Eric Olson and Christian Salem. Eric Olson, the CEO, was a D1 athlete and grew up in a family of professors, scientists, and teachers. Christian Salem, co-founder and Chief Product Officer, has experience in the NFL and at TicketManager. The company is a small team of engineers and operators with backgrounds at companies including Google, Amazon, PayPal, Salesforce, and Quora.

Who is Consensus for?

• Students and researchers looking for reliable sources.
• Science organizations needing to stay updated.
• Clinicians and doctors practicing evidence-based medicine.
• Universities and schools supporting academic work.
• Writers and journalists fact-checking information.
• Health and fitness experts seeking scientific backing.

Key features

• AI-powered search: Ask a question — for example, “Does creatine help build muscle?” — and Consensus searches over 200 million research papers across scientific fields for relevant, evidence-backed results.
• AI insights: Features like Copilot and the Consensus Meter help you interpret research more efficiently.
• Linked sources: Results link directly to the underlying scientific papers, so you always have access to credible sources.
• Personal libraries: Save, organize, annotate, and highlight papers for easy retrieval later.
• Collaboration: Share libraries with colleagues to support teamwork and knowledge sharing.
• Privacy: Data is securely encrypted, and no personally identifiable information is shared with outside parties.