Abstract

This keyword entry in the 2015 Encyclopaedia of Tourism seeks to position Q-Methodology both in respect to its native field(s) and its introduction and evolution within tourism studies. The entry identifies Q-Methodology as an alternative and innovative methodological approach to the study of tourism, one which is especially useful in situations where interest centers upon how individuals give meaning to their worlds. Moreover, the Encyclopedia entry outlines the potential of Q in allowing the researcher to operationalise and interpret subjective, or first person accounts of a phenomenon.