Experts have an important role to play in society and the economy. They provide information on the basis of which responsible persons can make far-reaching decisions, for example with regard to diseases or technological developments. Beyond these two areas, however, expert judgements are also in focus, sometimes strongly, in the context of scientific work. Their professional assessments often serve as a basis for qualitative work, for example in the form of expert interviews. In addition, experts in the field of futurology will be brought together in panels to discuss trends and developments.
Despite their special status in the various fields, it is often not clear how an expert has achieved his or her status and according to which criteria experts are selected for media and also scientific interviews and methods.
In his recent scientific publication “Who is an expert for foresight? A review of identification methods” in the journal “Technological Forecasting & Social Change”, Prof. Dr. habil. Heiko von der Gracht what makes experts experts. In cooperation with Dr. Stefanie Mauksch, research associate at the Institute of Ethnology at the University of Leipzig, and Theodore J. Gordon, co-founder and board member of the Millennium Project, the holder of the Chair of Futures Studies at the School of International Business and Entrepreneurship (SIBE) at Steinbeis University goes beyond this to describe which expert identification methods are available in science and which of these methods are particularly suitable for work in futures research.
The full scientific publication can be found here.