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Overly ambitious: contributions and current status of Q methodology

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This essay offers a small description of recent contributions and status of Q methodology by means of a review of suggested best practices, a systematic review of practice, and a methodological audit. Both theoretical and empirical study suggest that Q methodology neither delivers its promised insight into human subjectivity nor accounts adequately for threats to the validity of the claims it can legitimately make. These concerns in turn, render the method inappropriate for its declared purpose, the scientific study of subjectivity, and suspect for the full range of ontological perspectives, from (neo) positivist to constructivist. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

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  • Jarl Kampen & Peter Tamás, 2014. "Overly ambitious: contributions and current status of Q methodology," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 48(6), pages 3109-3126, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:qualqt:v:48:y:2014:i:6:p:3109-3126
    DOI: 10.1007/s11135-013-9944-z
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    1. Cuppen, Eefje & Breukers, Sylvia & Hisschemöller, Matthijs & Bergsma, Emmy, 2010. "Q methodology to select participants for a stakeholder dialogue on energy options from biomass in the Netherlands," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(3), pages 579-591, January.
    2. David L. Weimer, 1999. "Comment: Q-method and the isms," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(3), pages 426-429.
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    2. Susan Ramlo, 2024. "Q methodologist views on the future of Q: a study of a research community," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 58(5), pages 4897-4914, October.
    3. Adrian Lundberg & Nicola Fraschini & Renata Aliani, 2023. "What is subjectivity? Scholarly perspectives on the elephant in the room," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(5), pages 4509-4529, October.
    4. Sneegas, Gretchen & Beckner, Sydney & Brannstrom, Christian & Jepson, Wendy & Lee, Kyungsun & Seghezzo, Lucas, 2021. "Using Q-methodology in environmental sustainability research: A bibliometric analysis and systematic review," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    5. Christine Corlet Walker & Angela Druckman & Claudio Cattaneo, 2020. "Understanding the (non-)Use of Societal Wellbeing Indicators in National Policy Development: What Can We Learn from Civil Servants? A UK Case Study," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 150(3), pages 911-953, August.
    6. Boilson, Andrew & Gauttier, Stéphanie & Connolly, Regina & Davis, Paul & Connolly, Justin & Weston, Dale & Staines, Anthony, 2019. "Q-Method Evaluation of a European Health Data Analytic End User Framework," Proceedings of the ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion Conference (2019), Rovinj, Croatia, in: Proceedings of the ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion Conference, Rovinj, Croatia, 12-14 September 2019, pages 219-231, IRENET - Society for Advancing Innovation and Research in Economy, Zagreb.
    7. Chung-Chu Liu & Jason C. H. Chen & Che-Cheong Poon, 2019. "Perception Types Of Home Buyers By Q Methodology: A Comparative Study Of Hong Kong, Taiwan, And The Usa," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 64(01), pages 235-257, March.
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