Davies, Ben B. (2017). Q methodology. In Clive L. Spash (Ed.), Routledge handbook of ecological economics: Nature and society (pp. 331-340). Abingdon, UK: Routledge. ISBN 9781138931510, $200.00. eBook ISBN 9781315679747, $45.56.
Abstract: This chapter focuses on the aims and application of Q methodology within ecological economics research, excluding debates across the whole field of Q studies. The objective of Q methodology is to reveal different opinions or perspectives on a topic of study by exploring how respondents judge the relative importance to them of different dimensions of a problem or situation. The chapter explains the conduct of a Q study and the various stages involved and the pointers on data analysis and some key issues that arise. The chapter concludes with future directions and some closing remarks. The criterion sort for a factor is generated by first ranking all Q items by their factor z-scores and then entering the items by rank order into the Q scoring grid. Hobson and Niemeyer (2011) investigate the effect of deliberation on public attitudes by comparing responses between participant Q sorts completed before and after a focus group discussion of the adaptive capacity to climate change.
Ben B Davies <b.davies2@bathspa.ac.uk> is in the Bath Business School, Bath Spa University, Bath, UK.
