The Delphi Technique in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology: Extensive Scoping Review, Insights, and Recommendations for Scholars

The Delphi technique is a systematic research method generally used to identify priorities, reach consensus, and establish guidelines about a particular research question or topic using the collective opinion of a panel of experts. This technique has recently been used with more frequency by sport, exercise, and performance psychology (SEPP) researchers. Despite this growth, there are no clear recommendations for conducting a Delphi study within the SEPP-specific literature, potentially resulting in methodological confusion. The two aims of this article were to (a) offer a timely overview of the use of the Delphi technique in the existing SEPP literature and (b) offer a series of considerations and recommendations for researchers to consider when planning, conducting, and reporting on the finding of a study using a Delphi technique, based on existing methodological literature. Using a scoping review method, from an initial pool of 5,036 articles published between 2000 and 2024, I identified a total of 54 peer-reviewed articles that met the inclusion criteria of: (a) language-published in English, Spanish, Italian, French, or Portuguese; (b) domain-focused on SEPP research domains; (c) publication type-peer-reviewed articles; and (d) design-Delphi techniques were used. The analysis of these articles showed minor inconsistencies in reporting essential elements of Delphi methods. Based on the results of the scoping review and grounded in the Delphi methodological literature, with this article, I offer a roadmap for scholars interested in utilizing the Delphi technique and for reviewers and editors to assess the quality and rigor of these studies.