Abstract
PurposeThis article presents an introduction to the Delphi method and review of Delphi studies published in the literature of library and information science (LIS).Design/methodology/approachA review of Delphi studies published between the years of 1971 and 2019 is performed, using studies retrieved from the Library and Information Science Source database. A total of 122 articles were retrieved and evaluated based on the population studied, means of identifying experts, number of participants for each study round, type of Delphi, and type of findings.FindingsGeneral librarians (any type), academic librarians, and information science researchers are the most common populations in LIS Delphi studies. On average (middle 50 percent of studies), 14–36 experts are used in the first round of LIS Delphi studies (median n = 23). Employment in a specific role and publications in scholarly journals are the most common means of identifying experts. Variants of the e-Delphi (online survey/email) method are increasingly common, particularly in LIS Delphi studies that focus on general information science, rather than library, topics. Though LIS Delphi studies are relatively few in number, they have a consistent record of being published in some of the most prestigious LIS journals.Originality/valueThis paper provides an introduction to the Delphi method for LIS research and presents an overview of existing literature in LIS that utilizes the research method. No overview of this extent exists in the LIS literature, and, thus, this paper may serve as an important information source about the method for LIS researchers.
Subject
Library and Information Sciences,Information Systems
Reference164 articles.
1. Aichholzer, G. (2009), “The Delphi method: eliciting experts' knowledge in technology foresight”, in Bogner, A., Littig, B. and Menz, W., Interviewing Experts, Palgrave MacMillan, London, pp. 252-274.
2. Delphi panels: research design, procedures, advantages, and challenges;International Journal of Doctoral Studies,2016
3. How expert are the experts? An exploration of ‘expert’ within Delphi panel techniques;Nurse Researcher,2006
4. Curricula in information science: Analysis and development;Journal of the American Society for Information Science,1971
5. Delphi: a methodology for preferences more than predictions;Library Management,1995
Cited by
36 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献