qmethod (version 1.3.0)

qmethod-package: Package for Q methodology analysis

Description

Q is a methodology to study distinct perspectives existing within a group on a topic of interest. It is used across social, health, and environmental studies. See the references below for more details about the methodology.

This package performs the analysis of Q methodology data using principal components analysis, varimax rotation (replaceable by other rotations allowed in principal), and automatic flagging (manual flagging is optional).

The following steps of the analysis correspond to separate functions: factor loadings for Q-sorts, automatic flagging of Q-sorts (qflag), z-scores and factor scores for statements (qzscores), distinguishing and consensus statements (qdc), and general characteristics of the factors (qfcharact). The function qmethod wraps them all.

The functions for each step may be used separately for advanced analysis, for example, for manual flagging (see details in qzscores).

The package also includes additional functions for the following:

• Import data from PQMethod software (import.pqmethod).
• Export a plain-text report of the analysis for interpretation in two flavours (export.qm).
• Generic methods toprint.QmethodResandplot.QmethodResQ method results.
• Generate printable cards for the administration of a Q study. The functionmake.cardsproduces a PDF with full item wording and codes, ready for printout on business card templates that can be easily broken into individual Q-cards.
• Several functions to aid reproducible research, by importing the following from raw, separate *.CSV or *.TEX files for each respondent or item:
  • Q-sorts (import.q.sorts)
  • Participant item feedback (import.q.feedback)
  • Complete concourses (import.q.concourse)
  • Item samples (build.q.set)
• A function to rename the factors in the results, with short, meaningful names (q.fnames).

Use help(package="qmethod") for a list of all the functions.

Terminology{ The functions for analysis use the terms standard in Q methodology.

In addition, the optional functions to import raw data from separate *.CSV files (import.q.sorts, import.q.concourse, build.q.set, import.q.feedback) and the card printing function (make.cards) refer to items in three distinct ways:

1. Itemfull wording, is the complete item, such as: "One small community of indomitable Q-methodologists ...". This item can be read in from individual *.TEX files by usingimport.q.concourse. The wording is not passed on to any other function, but can be readily retrieved from the object returned fromimport.q.concourse.
2. The itemhandleis a shorthand way of referring to an item, which should bemeaningfulto the researcher (e.g."life-with-q"). Item handles areresearcher-facingand can be used to refer to items during dataanalysis. They are read in from thefilenamesof individual *.TEX files when usingimport.q.concourse. Handles can be used to identify items in other functions and their outputs. For example, the resulting array or matrix fromimport.q.sortscarries these handles as row names.
3. The itemIDis another shorthand way of referring to an item, that should bemeaninglessto humans (so as not to influence the participants in unintended ways), such as an arbitrary string of characters. Item IDs areparticipant-facingand are used to identify items during dataentry. The item ID can take two forms, depending on function arguments specified by the user:
   1. StandardIDs(such assta12,sta13) which are generated automatically inqmethodor can be provided by the user using the respectivemanual.lookuparguments inmake.cards,import.q.sortsandimport.q.feedback. See the documentation of these functions for details.
   2. A set of hexadecimalhashed IDs(such asae128fs) can be automatically generated and expected by the functionsmake.cards,import.q.sortsandimport.q.feedbackif the argumentmanual.lookupremains empty and defaults toNULL. In that case, IDs are computed by 'summarising' the full item wordings (e.g. "Q Method is used by a crazy, but charming community ...") into a hexadecimal number (e.g. "ae128fs"), a process known as cryptographichashing(for more details seedigest)). These hash values change wheneveranythingin the full item wordings is changed, and allow a precise identification of different versions of an item. This function never exposes users to the hash values. Automatic, hashed IDs are generally recommended and easier to use, but some caveats apply (seemake.cards).

For more information on this terminology and the rationale behind it, consider the best practices suggested by Maximilian Held on the https://github.com/aiorazabala/qmethod/wiki/Data-management{data management} page. }

Suggested File Structure{ For studies in which each Q-sort and item are kept in separate *.CSV files, the import functions import.q.sorts, import.q.concourse, build.q.set, import.q.feedback and the print function make.cards require a nested directory structure in the study folder. An example of such structure can be found in ../qmethod/extdata/importexample. Although recommended for complex studies, this structure is not necessary for using the data analysis functions or for exploring and exporting results.

If the suggested file structure is followed, the subdirectories for (within-subjects) conditions and languages are optional, and need to be used only if there are more than one condition and language, respectively. In such case, the arguments conditions and languages for the above import functions must be specified accordingly.

For more information on the file structure and the rationale behind it, consider the best practices suggested by Maximilian Held on the https://github.com/aiorazabala/qmethod/wiki/Data-management{data management} page. }

References

• Zabala, A., 2014. qmethod: A Package to Explore Human Perspectives Using Q Methodology.The R Journal, 6(2):163-173. Available from:http://journal.r-project.org/archive/2014-2/zabala.pdf.
• Watts, S., and and P. Stenner, 2012.Doing Q Methodological Research: Theory, Method & Interpretation, London: Sage Publications Ltd.
• Van Exel, J., and G. de Graaf, 2005.Q Methodology: A Sneak Preview Available from:http://qmethod.org/articles/vanExel.pdf.
• Brown, S. R., 1980.Political subjectivity: Applications of Q methodology in political science, New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Available from:http://qmethod.org/papers/Brown-1980-PoliticalSubjectivity.pdf.
• http://qmethod.org/ The website of theInternational Society for the Scientific Study of Subjectivity.
• http://schmolck.org/qmethod Peter Schmolck's Q Method Page, with further references, datasets and the PQMethod software.

Examples

data(lipset)
results <- qmethod(lipset[[1]], nfactors = 3, rotation = "varimax")
summary(results)
results