ENVISION BITE-AIM Delphi Open

Introduction

You are being invited to participate in a research study using an AI-modified Delphi methodology. This document provides important information about the study. Please read it carefully and ask questions if anything is unclear.

Study Purpose

The overall goal of this AI-modified Delphi study is to achieve expert consensus on important scientific questions and critical methodological approaches for the BITE brain health project, which examines the effects of exposures to pollution and the wider exposome on cognitive decline across neurodegenerative conditions.

The specific objectives are:

• Gather diverse perspectives from human experts on scientific and methodological questions important to the successful conduct of a study of pollution, the exposome and cognitive decline.
• Identify additional scientific and methodological considerations.
• Establish baseline positions for future exposure research with big data and mixed methods.
• Solicit expert opinions on the current capacity of AI models to perform the role of experts in multidisciplinary health data research.

Study Design

This study uses a modified Delphi methodology with two parallel tracks:

1. Standard Delphi Track: 20-30 international human experts providing consensus through iterative surveys.
2. AI Track: 3-5 Large Language Models (LLMs) providing parallel synthesis.

After three rounds of separate consensus-building, the results from both tracks will be presented together in a fourth round for final appraisal.

What Participation Involves

Duration: The study will run from November 2025 to February 2026 (approximately 12 weeks)

Time Commitment: Approximately 100-200 minutes total across four rounds:

• Round 1 (Idea Generation): 30-60 minutes – answering open-ended questions within a 2-4 week window.
• Round 2 (Rating & Refining): 20-40 minutes – rating items from Round 1 within a 1-3 week window.
• Round 3 (Final Main Consensus): 15-30 minutes – re-rating items that did not reach consensus within a 1-2 week window.
• Round 4 (AI Consensus Round): 20-40 minutes – rating AI Round 3 consensus in context of main consensus within a 1 week window.

Process: You will complete online questionnaires using LimeSurvey software.

• Your responses will be anonymous.
• After each round, you will receive anonymized, aggregated feedback from the human expert panel, and in the last round AI feedback will be included for a final round of appraisal.
• You may be asked to provide rationales for ratings that fall outside the consensus range.

Type of Data Collected

• Expert opinions on scientific and methodological questions.
• Ratings on Likert scales (1-5).
• Written rationales and recommendations.
• Professional demographic information (collected only once at the beginning).

Anonymity and Confidentiality

• Your responses will be pseudonymized – the research team can link your responses across rounds, but your identity will not be shared with other participants.
• Anonymized quotes and aggregated results will be shared with the panel in subsequent rounds.
• No individual responses will be attributed to you in any publication.
• Only aggregated, anonymized data will be published.
• Your identity will not be revealed to other panel members.

Data Storage and Security

• Data will be collected through LimeSurvey, a GDPR-compliant platform.
• Data will be stored securely with encryption and access controls.
• Only authorized research personnel (Principal Investigator and Study Coordinator) will have access to pseudonymized data.
• Data will be stored for 10 years in accordance with applicable data protection regulations.
• After 10 years, all data will be securely destroyed.

Benefits of Participation

• Upon completion of all rounds, you will be offered co-authorship on the resulting consensus statement publication.
• Opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research methodologies.
• Influence the direction of important research on cognitive decline and exposure science.
• Engage with international experts in your field.

Risks and Burdens

• Risks are minimal and primarily related to the time commitment required (100-200 minutes over 12 weeks).
• There are no physical, psychological, or financial risks anticipated.

Voluntary Participation and Right to Withdraw

• Your participation is entirely voluntary.
• You have the absolute right to withdraw from the study at any time, for any reason, without penalty.
• If you choose to withdraw, you may request that your data be deleted from the study.
• Withdrawal will not affect your professional standing or rights in any way.

Contact persons for questions about BITE-AIM Delphi

If you have any questions about this study, please contact:

Study Coordinator
Name: Seana O'Callaghan
Address: University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer, Constantiaplatz 4, 26723 Emden, Germany
Email: seana.ocallaghan@hs-emden-leer.de

Project Director
Name: Prof. Dr. Jutta Lindert
Address: University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer, Constantiaplatz 4, 26723 Emden, Germany
Telephone: +49 152-04 111 762
Email: jutta.lindert@hs-emden-leer.de

Compensation for participation

There is no financial compensation for participation in the study. There are no disadvantages if you decide not to participate.

Thank you for your participation!