Identifying and weighing the criteria of evaluation of future research methods in the field of defense with a hybrid approach: Fuzzy Delphi and Fuzzy AHP

The contemporary world is full of unexpected events and uncertainties. Futures research is an approach that can eliminate ambiguities and allow for greater understanding of the future. In recent years, researchers have proposed a variety of methods for future research that the selection of the appropriate method with regard to the field of application and influential indicators will be a challenging and complex decision. Especially in the field of defense; because of: dynamics and agility of the environment, ambiguous and uncertain conditions, wide range of influencing variables and the variety of assignment missions; the choice of futures method will be more important and complex. Identification and prioritization of influential criteria can help experts in this field to make the best decision and improve organizational performance. For this purpose, in this study two methods of fuzzy Delphi and Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) have been used. Applying fuzzy logic in addition to expert-based approaches (Delphi and hierarchical analysis) along with the consensus of experts also takes into account the uncertainties in human judgments. In the purpose dimension, present study is in the applied research group and in the method dimension, in the descriptive survey research group that has been analyzed by a mixed (qualitative and quantitative) approach. Finally, 12 criteria for evaluating defense research futures were identified, weighed and prioritized.