A Pilot Application of Delphi Techniques to the Drug Field: Some Experimental Findings,
Abstract
The purpose of the experiment described in this Report was to examine some variants of Delphi formats that might be more adaptable to issues of interest to decisionmakers in this area. The focus of the experiment was on methodological considerations, rather than on the actual content of the questions asked. In two Delphi rounds of questioning, a group of volunteers (whose work was not professionally related to drug research) were asked to complete a questionnaire of items relating to drug use, prevention, and treatment. For questions whose multiple choices were non-quantitative, a number was associated with each choice for the purpose of measuring consensus levels. Response trends were summarized numerically according to a scheme which gave the greatest weight to responses with a high associated confidence self-rating. Feedback furnished on the second round of questioning included graphical displays summarizing response trends and levels of consensus among the participants on the first round, together, in some cases, with a verbal summary of the reasons which respondents gave for their answers. Participants were invited to provide new assessments on the second round of questioning in light of numerical and verbal information.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1973
- Accession Number
- ADA044834
Entities
People
- Loran T. Thompson