Some Consequences of How We Measure

Abstract

Computer programs for Q Technique are a mixed blessing. As they reduce the work, on the one hand, we run a risk of becoming complacent if they are used in an unthinking manner. Hand computation forced intimate knowledge of how the technique worked, but this knowledge is no longer essential. The two best sources for students of Q are out-of-print, and contemporary books on factor analysis are written by people who do not understand Q. The community of scholars and researchers utilizing Q Method should collaborate to ensure that future students of the methodology rest upon a sound foundation.