Q Methodology in the COVID-19 Era

All face-to-face studies were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as they could not be run in person due to rules and guidance linked to social distancing which were in force during the outbreak. Finding and testing an available COVID-secure approach for both participants and researchers was importan...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Healthcare (Basel) 2021-11, Vol.9 (11), p.1491
Main Authors: Alanazi, Ahmed S., Wharrad, Heather, Moffatt, Fiona, Taylor, Michael, Ladan, Muhammad
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Data collection
Interviews
Medical research
methodology
online studies
Pandemics
Q methodology
Research methodology
Software
Telemedicine
Usability
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Summary:All face-to-face studies were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as they could not be run in person due to rules and guidance linked to social distancing which were in force during the outbreak. Finding and testing an available COVID-secure approach for both participants and researchers was important as was the need to continue conducting such studies during this critical time. At present, the extant literature indicates a clear gap in research that elucidates how to carry out a Q methodology study online, step by step. This paper describes an option for online Q methodology using an approach that simulates all of the steps performed in a face-to-face setting using an open-source software known as Easy-HtmlQ. Using a case study in telemedicine adoption as illustration, this paper also considers the perspective of both research participants and Q methodology researchers via semi-structured interviews. Using Easy-HtmlQ V1.1 in online Q methodology studies appears to be an affordable, practical and user-friendly solution. Some of the benefits associated with running Q methodology studies online were the decreased costs, enabling the recruitment of wider number of participants, providing a COVID-19-secure environment and offering convenience to both participants and researchers during the research process. The findings of this study may contribute to increasing the number of online Q methodology studies in the future, as it has succeeded in offering a feasible approach for Q methodology researchers.
ISSN:2227-9032
2227-9032
DOI:10.3390/healthcare9111491