Knowra Futures studies Futures studies Futures studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines possible, probable, and preferable futures to inform decisions in the present. It uses structured methods to explore uncertainty rather than claim to predict a single future.
Scenario planning : A strategic method that explores several plausible future contexts to test decisions and prepare for change. It builds coherent alternative futures without treating any one as a prediction.
Possible worlds : Hypothetical ways reality could have been or could be, used in philosophy and logic to analyze possibility. The idea of possibility provides a broad conceptual foundation for imagining alternative futures.
H. G. Wells : An English writer and social commentator whose 1902 lecture called for a systematic study of the future. His proposal helped establish the idea of studying future possibilities as a public undertaking.
Strategic foresight : The use of structured future-oriented analysis to inform an organization’s strategy and choices. It applies futures methods directly to organizational planning and decision-making.
Prediction : A statement about an event or condition that is expected to occur in the future. Futures studies explores multiple alternatives instead of claiming one future can be known in advance.
Delphi method : A structured process that gathers and refines expert judgments through repeated, often anonymous rounds. It elicits informed views about future developments while reducing direct group pressure.
Uncertainty : A condition in which relevant outcomes, probabilities, or causal relationships are not fully known. Futures studies works with uncertainty that cannot always be reduced to a reliable forecast.
World War II : A global conflict fought from 1939 to 1945, reshaping states, societies, and postwar institutions. Wartime planning and research helped develop techniques later used in futures analysis.
Technology assessment : The systematic examination of technology’s likely effects, risks, and social implications. It uses future-oriented analysis to anticipate consequences before technologies are widely adopted.
Trend extrapolation : A forecasting technique that projects observed trends into the future. It extends current patterns, whereas futures studies also considers disruption and structural change.
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