...Ali Chaparak Purpose The epistemological and institutional legitimacy of futures studies/foresight has been a long-standing topic of debate. This paper explores how the field can generate reliable knowledge about plural and uncertain futures, not through prediction or certainty, but through...

... literature review and integrative analysis. Findings Using epistemological criteria for knowledge as truth, belief and rationale, the results of futures studies are not and cannot be knowledge. Instead, futures studies produce five kinds of “representations of the future”: predictions, projections...

... and practice, identifies key global drivers and considers their significance for Africa over the next generation. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a historical approach, the paper chronicles the changes in the epistemological foundations of development thinking over 60 years of development...

...Riel Miller; Roberto Poli; Jan Erik Karlsen; Erik F. Øverland; Hanne Karlsen Purpose This article aims to contribute to futures theory building by assessing the inherent ontological and epistemological presumptions in foresight studies. Such premises, which are usually embedded in foresight...

... in the West Originality/value This is a highly original and innovative approach which enhances research. Intuition Intelligence Epistemology Forecasting Don't get so far ahead of the parade that nobody can see where you are (John Naisbitt, 2007 , Mind Set). Only intuition...

... and integrates them into a new approach. © Company 2008 Social dynamics Epistemology Change management Economic change Forward planning With peak oil near (Sutton, 2006), has business‐as‐usual become business‐was‐usual? With climate change heating up the earth, even potentially...