Q-Methodology
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.
Source record
Citations copied verbatim from the method’s source record. No claim-level verification is inferred from them.
- Stephenson, W. (1935). Technique of factor analysis. Nature, 136(3434), 297. · DOI 10.1038/136297b0
- Brown, S. R. (1980). Political subjectivity: Applications of Q methodology in political science. Yale University Press. · URL
- McKeown, B., & Thomas, D. (2013). Q methodology (2nd ed.). Sage Publications. · URL
Curated claims
Claims persisted in the evidence ledger, each with its own assessment.
This view does not invent a claim assessment when the ledger has none.
Related methods
Generated from the method graph and shown as machine-suggested relations — no evidence claim is inferred.