Quest-Sort: A Paper-and-Pencil Alternative to Card-Sorting Q Samples

Abstract

Under conditions that might make a traditional card-sorting task infeasible, the Quest-Sort alternative presented here could be useful. A sample of 31 students demonstrates reasonable comparability of results between the formats, with the Quest-Sort about one-third faster to complete that the card-sort. A second sample of employed students demonstrates the internal validity of Quest-Sort rankings relative to both card-sorted and paired-comparisons rankings. Second-order factor analysis also suggests that the card-sort and the Quest-Sort elicit conceptually similar structures.