Futures Studies and Delphi Methods

Futures studies is a transdisciplinary and transcultural knowledge which attempts to discover possible futures and to build preferable futures. Future oriented knowledge to shape futures based on vision of human beings has special position in societies. Todays the field is called science and art of shaping the futures and different countries are attempting to attain this knowledge as a strategic tool and regenerate it under their cultural value. Governments using futures studies are also trying to dominate the futures to play proactive role in the futures instead of passive or reactive role. In other words, they will not be surprised with great changes in future. Governments will face the future with knowledge in unavoidable process of globalization. In this paper we will discuss about concepts and principle of futures studies and also Delphi method as a popular qualitative method in the field. Although Delphi has been borrowed from other field, it has been redesigned to be more effective and now it is introduced as one of the most popular methods in the field of futures studies.