Lessons learnt from a Delphi study on community resilience to long-term structural change

Developing a scale can be a difficult and time consuming process, with Delphi panels a common technique applied by researchers. Delphi panels use experts to assess and review an initial list of indicators, often requiring two or three rounds of input. However, with a variety of approaches used in previous studies, it is difficult to determine the most appropriate strategy to adopt when implementing a Delphi study. Consequently, the aim of this paper is to present the key lessons learnt from the development of a Delphi study on community resilience to long-term structural change. Importantly, when implementing a Delphi panel in tourism researchers should review previous Delphi studies; conduct a substantial review process of indicator statements from the literature; incorporate regional experts within the panel; and use a diverse range of techniques to measure the indicators and contact participants.