A reappraisal of Delphi 2.0 for public relations research

Please cite this article in press as: Wakefield, R., & Watson, T. Delphi 2.0: A reappraisal of Delphi method for public

relations research. Public Relations Review (2014), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2013.12.004

ARTICLE IN PRESS GModel

PUBREL-1227; No. of Pages8

Public Relations Review xxx (2014) xxx–xxx

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Public Relations Review

Delphi 2.0: A reappraisal of Delphi method for public

relations research

Robert Wakefielda,∗, Tom Watsonb

a Brigham Young University, United States b Bournemouth University, United Kingdom

a r t i c l e i n f o

Article history:

Received 12 July 2013

Received in revised form 2 November 2013

Accepted 16 December 2013

Keywords:

Delphi method

Public relations

Public relations research

Research in public relations

Qualitative research

Delphi research

a b s t r a c t

This paper introduces, analyzes, and explains the Delphi method of research, particularly

as it applies to the public relations industry. The Delphi technique became known some

50 years ago when the RAND Corporation used it for forecasting. Since then, scholars and

forecasters have used it periodically for qualitative explorations into complex issues or

domains. The overall purpose of the Delphi is to facilitate formal discussion among selected

experts in a given domain around a particular topic; it is particularly useful when those

experts cannot easily gather in one place. The method encourages the sharing of diverging

worldviews over a few “rounds” or iterations in the hope that the views may converge into

some direction around the given topic. For this reason, the Delphi has often been used in

situations or environments that tend to be somewhat ambiguous and where interviews

and surveys are neither timely nor appropriate.

Public relations scholars started incorporating the Delphi into their research in the late

1980s, and the technique has since been employed to explore broad-ranging issues among

experts on at least a dozen occasions. However, aside from these particular studies, public

relations literature contains little discussion about the technique and its possible applica￾tions or implications for developing knowledge in the field. This paper, then, is intended to

dissect the pros and cons of the Delphi method so as to offer guidance to public relations

scholars who may wish to use it in future studies. This paper is created through a literature

review of similar articles on Delphi studies in other domains, followed by an examination

of some studies conducted to advance issues in public relations. The authors explore the

most appropriate situations for using a Delphi and list the benefits and disbenefits of dif￾ferent aspects or applications of the method. They trace the evolution of Delphi research

from its early roots into the era of the Internet and social media, which offer new tools

for increasing the number of respondents and moving through the Delphi process more

quickly than could previously be done. In advancing such an examination of the Delphi,

this paper should be a useful addition to emerging public relations literature.

© 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction

Public relations is oft-presented as “unseen” (Coombs & Holladay, 2013; Cutlip, 1994) and “complex” (Gregory & Watson,

2008). It is thus especially open to qualitative research to understand the less-obvious answers to questions that are, in

themselves, not clearly explicated. There are several effective means for examining uncharted territory in public relations,

∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 801 422 4223.

E-mail address: Robert [email protected] (R. Wakefield).

0363-8111/$ – see front matter © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2013.12.004