UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

The Delphi technique gathers judgments from experts in multiple rounds where responses are summarised and fed back anonymously after each round. Experts can revise their views in light of the group feedback, gradually moving toward consensus. It is especially useful for forecasting and policy planning in complex areas. Hence, this structured, multi-round expert consultation is called the Delphi technique.

Option A:
A focus group is a face-to-face group discussion led by a moderator, relying on interaction and immediate conversation. It does not involve anonymous multi-round questionnaires. So it is not the correct term here.

Option B:
A case study is an in-depth analysis of a single case or small set of cases using multiple data sources. It does not primarily aim to obtain consensus among many experts. Therefore, it does not fit the stem.

Option C:
Ethnographic research immerses the researcher in a cultural or social setting to observe behaviours and meanings, not to collect iterative forecasts from experts. Hence, it is not the method described.

Option D:
Option D, the Delphi technique, intentionally avoids group pressure by maintaining anonymity and uses feedback summaries to refine expert judgments. This matches exactly the description in the question, so it is correct.