Σύγκριση μεθόδων

	Μεθοδολογία Q	Ανάλυση Παραγόντων	Τεχνική Πλέγματος Αναφοράς	Θεματική Ανάλυση
Πεδίο	Ψυχολογία	Ερευνητική Στατιστική	Ψυχολογία	Ποιοτική Έρευνα
Οικογένεια	Hypothesis test	Process / pipeline	Hypothesis test	Process / pipeline
Έτος προέλευσης	1935	1931	1955	2006
Δημιουργός	William Stephenson	Louis Leon Thurstone	George Kelly	Virginia Braun and Victoria Clarke
Τύπος	Q-sort ranking technique	Method	Qualitative-quantitative hybrid	Method
Θεμελιώδης πηγή	Stephenson, W. (1935). Technique of factor analysis. Nature, 136(3434), 297.	Thurstone, L. L. (1947). Multiple Factor Analysis. University of Chicago Press.	Kelly, G. A. (1955). The psychology of personal constructs. Norton.	Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Εναλλακτικές ονομασίες	Q-Sort, Q-Technique	EFA, CFA, latent variable modeling	Rep Grid, Repertory Grid Test, Kelly Grid	TA, Reflexive Thematic Analysis
Συναφείς	3	3	1	3
Σύνοψη	Q-Methodology is a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative factor analysis with qualitative interpretation to identify distinct perspectives, viewpoints, or 'factors' shared by groups of people. Introduced by William Stephenson in 1935, it uses Q-sorts—where participants rank statements on a continuum—to measure subjective viewpoints systematically. The method applies factor analysis to correlations among Q-sorts (not items), revealing common patterns of opinion or attitude that transcend individual differences.	Factor analysis is a statistical technique for identifying latent (unobserved) dimensions underlying observed variables, developed by Louis Leon Thurstone in the 1930s and formalized by Jöreskog (1969). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) discovers unknown factor structure from data; confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) tests hypothesized relationships between observed and latent variables. Essential in psychometrics (test development), organizational research (measuring constructs like leadership style), and biomedicine (identifying disease subtypes), factor analysis reduces dimensionality while revealing conceptual organization in multivariate data.	The Repertory Grid is a qualitative-quantitative method derived from Personal Construct Theory that elicits how individuals construe (interpret and evaluate) a domain of interest—people, concepts, events, or objects—through their own idiosyncratic dimensions or 'constructs.' Introduced by George Kelly in 1955, the method generates a grid of elements (e.g., people) rated along personally meaningful bipolar constructs, revealing cognitive structures, values, and reasoning patterns without imposing researcher-defined categories.	Thematic Analysis (TA) is a qualitative research methodology for identifying, analyzing, and reporting patterns (themes) in qualitative data. Developed systematically by Virginia Braun and Victoria Clarke (2006), TA is flexible and accessible, applicable across diverse theoretical frameworks and data types, making it one of the most widely used qualitative methods in psychology, health research, and social sciences.