Table 1.
Delphi advantages and benefits for natural resource and environmental management researchers
| Advantages | Benefits for natural resource and environmental management researchers |
|---|---|
| 1. It is well-suited for forecasting uncertain factors | It is well-suited for forecasting uncertain factors that may affect natural resource and environmental management |
| 2. It is anonymous | It provides opportunity for participants to express their opinions without being influenced by others and without fear of “losing face” among their peers |
| 3. It is dependent on expert judgment | It is particularly compatible with natural resource and environmental management experts as they are often in a position to be affected by or to operationalize the research product. Thus, they may be more willing to participate |
| 4. It is not limited by narrow expert definitions | It facilitates capacity building for expert interaction in an industry characterized by fragmentation and limited opportunities for interaction and knowledge exchange (i.e., increases interdisciplinary interaction and understanding) |
| 5. It is effective and efficient | It is a low-cost technique that is easily administered by natural resource and environmental management researchers and/or practitioners |
| 6. It is reliable and outcomes can be generalized | It is a legitimate technique for natural resource and environmental management research. The generalizability of research outcomes is well-suited for management forecasting |
| 7. It is non-linear by design | It offers an alternative research approach for addressing emergent and/or complex environmental management problems that do not benefit from the traditional linear approach |
| 8. It is insightful | It facilitates progress. Through iterative feedback, participants are part of the process, and the sum is much more than its parts. This is particularly complementary to natural resource and environmental management research where participants (managers, local stakeholders, etc.) are increasingly key/mandatory contributors to the research process and outcomes. Community-based natural resource research and collaborative stakeholder environmental management research are just a few examples |
Adapted from: Donohoe and Needham 2009, p. 420