What is Q methodology?

Abstract

10.1136/ebnurs-2022-103568 Introduction Mixed methods research is becoming increasingly popular given the benefit of combining quantitative and qualitative data to explore phenomena. Q methodology combines qualitative and quantitative techniques to study subjectivity. Despite its recent popularity, Q methodology was originally developed in the 1930s by William Stephenson, a physicist and psychologist. Stephenson worked with psychologist and statistician Charles Spearman (of Spearman correlation coefficient and factor analysis fame); Stephenson saw the need to explore the subjective opinion, combining it with the rigour of statistical factor analysis, thus Q methodology was born. Q methodology is being increasingly used to explore views on a range of topics in healthcare from mental healthcare to dentistry. This paper sets out the key characteristics of Q methodology to help nurse researchers better understand the method and terminology, plus we provide practical advice about how to apply Q in nursing and health services research.