Futurology

Futures techniques

Main article: Futures techniques

While forecasting -- i.e., attempts to predict future states from current trends -- is a common methodology, professional scenarios often rely on "backcasting" -- i.e., asking what changes in the present would be required to arrive at envisioned alternative future states. For example, the Policy Reformand Eco-Communalism scenarios developed by the Global Scenario Grouprely on the backcasting method. Practitioners of futures studies classify themselves as futurists (or foresight practitioners).

Futurists use a diverse range of forecasting methods including:

• Anticipatory thinking protocols:
• Causal layered analysis (CLA)
• Environmental scanning
• Scenario method
• Delphi method
• Future history
• Monitoring
• Backcasting (eco-history)
• Back-view mirror analysis
• Cross-impact analysis
• Futures workshops
• Failure mode and effects analysis
• Futures biographies
• Futures wheel
• Global Prescience
• Relevance tree
• Simulation and modelling
• Social network analysis
• Systems engineering
• Trend analysis
• Morphological analysis
• Technology forecasting