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Important Announcements:

Subject: Delphi - Large Scale Experiment

Date: Tuesday 13th January 2004.

It is felt that one more round before Ljubjiana would be extremely useful for design of the large scale experiment. The second round is therefore opened with deadline set for Monday 19th january 2004 @ 2200 GMT (2300 CET).

In the last round, there was some quality input of ideas. These ideas, in addition to constructing an optimum experiment for URBSOIL, have potentially extremely useful learning outcomes for the students within our group.

An entirely voluntary exercise, any participation (in all rounds) will produce automatic qualification for joint authorship. It contains relatively short questions, mostly of a multiple choice type methodology.

I look forward to your positive contributions. Your knowledge is invaluable.

To log on, click here.

Subjects:
Delphi - PPT Round 4
Delphi - Large Scale Experiment

Date: Tuesday 2nd December.

-The following provides the links for the latest Delphi rounds. many thanks

(a) Delphi .ppt - Round 4

There will is a revised/new powerpoint presentation, generated by your comments, votes and recommendations.

In addition, there are some questions relating to future methodologies e.g. 'goal a'.

(b) Large scale experiment

Should any technical problems arise, please do not hesitate to contact team Paisley.

Subjects:
Delphi - DST Round 4
Delphi - Large Scale Experiment

Date: Monday 17th Nov.

DELPHI

First of all, a big thank you for the commitment shown for Delphi. The results of the last round will be with you shortly. The greatest input, required of you, has now passed. 'Goal A' and, as you will see, the large scale experiment require very few questions to be answered. Thus, the time needed to the answer subsequent online questionnaires should be greatly reduced.

There are, in essence, three online questionnaires that have to be addressed:

(a) Powerpoint for enduser consultation

(b) Goal A

(c) Large scale soil experiment.

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(a) Powerpoint Presentation

Enough information has been generated from subsequent rounds to produce a new powerpoint presentation. I do not invisage much changes in the next round. Nor would I want there to be. Christmas is nearly upon us and we have a desire to address the stakeholders and have them 'on board' as soon as possible.

Q - can you reply with a realistic date for engaging your stakeholders? This is vital for our scheduling. We have some very important questions that we want these stakeholders to address.

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(b) Goal A

Discussions on Goal A are providing vital information. Most importantly, the opinions of expert soil scientists throughout the EU are being utilised in the construction of such a system. This debate is positive and healthy. It is felt that a few more questions relating to the construction of the DST would provide more valuable information. Information that can be vital stepping stones for those that may come after us. we envisage a well cited paper of which you are the authors.

For those that have already addressed 'Goal A' in previous rounds, you will be aware that the volume of questions was nowhere near the scale as that of the powerpoint exercise. You will therefore be assured that, in the next round, the number of questions will be, roughly, the same as previous rounds for Goal A.

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(c) Large Scale Soil Experiment

A large scale soil experiment is to be optimally designed by expert soil scientists throughout the EU.

It is impractical to have you all fly to Paisley to generate the specifications of such an experiment. Therefore, we feel that the process of online questionnaires is the best practical option.

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Deadlines and Availability
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There is a choice of whether to present all the questions (i.e. all of the above topics [(a), (b) & (c)] together or separate. What this difference would mean for you is whether you address an online questionnaire every week, with a separate topic, from now until xmas or perhaps only one or two.

It is decided that addressing all the topics in one online questionnaire would be best. This is because:

(a) we can maximise the response, depending on your availability

(b) the questions are nowhere near as numerous as for the previous powerpoint rounds.

(c) Confusion regarding deadlines for which survey can be avoided if all topics are treated together.

Therefore:

Q. Are there any weeks, between now and Christmas, that you would not be available to engage in any of the above discussions?

e-mail: Iain Hossack