A structured process for collecting and distilling knowledge from a pre-selected panel of geographically dispersed experts whose opinions or judgments are of interest by means of a series of questionnaires interspersed with anonymous controlled feedback to refine opinions. After two or three rounds, the panel‚was position is determined by averaging. Originally developed at the RAND Corporation, it is designed to promote discussion among experts without the encumbrance of certain social interactive behaviors as happens during a conventional committee meeting, which are deemed to hamper opinion forming. The method has been widely used to generate forecasts and for problem-solving purposes in technology, education, and other fields.
See Back-translation, Expert opinion, Focus groups, Heuristic, Problem solving