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Delphi methods are structured group communication processes designed and facilitated by professional Delphi moderators. Delphi methods deal with complex issues and wicked problems where uncertain and incomplete knowledge exists. These issues are assessed by groups of experts in an iterative process. It is the main purpose of Delphi methods that with each new round of questioning, the aggregated group answers of the previous round are fed back and the respondents can reconsider their judgements on the basis of the received feedback and revise them if necessary. The characteristic features of Delphi methods are:(1) anonymization of responses,(2) iterative questioning with controlled feedback and (3) integration of aggregated group responses.

Delphi methods have proven themselves valid and reliable in various disciplines and fields of application around the world. The first Delphi studies were …