Chapter 6: The Delphi Process

For more than six decades, researchers have searched for a way to collect information based on the knowledge and experience of experts in a field which will guide them in making decisions and predictions about the future. Several researchers have used the Delphi process to elicit and refine the combined opinion and expertise of a panel of experts to reach a consensus.

Consensus research methods can be used to examine how effective decisions are made in situations where there is inconsistent or scarce information. They include brainstorming, nominal group technique, and the “Delphi” survey technique, which is a systematic method to acquire the opinions and, preferably a consensus from a panel of experts on a specific issue. The Delphi technique is a method of ascertaining the opinions of a group of experts to reach consensus around areas of uncertainty. The process entails a series of questionnaires that are completed anonymously by a group of participants, each of whose opinion is accounted for when the final consensus is reached.