Sorting out sustainability transitions: Q methodology as a tool for studying and navigating stakeholder perspectives

Sustainability transitions involve genuine uncertainty, competing values, and persistent stakeholder disagreement about problems, solutions, goals and policy interventions. Understanding these contested dynamics requires methodological approaches that can systematically capture subjectivity while maintaining analytical rigor. In this perspective, we argue that Q methodology, a mixed-methods approach that combines qualitative depth with quantitative rigor, is an underutilized yet highly valuable tool for transitions research. Drawing on our experience from Q studies on industrial decarbonization and electrification in Sweden and Norway, as well as a broader reading of transitions-related Q research, we reflect on the method's strengths, limitations, and untapped potential. We highlight how Q methodology enables the identification of distinct stakeholder narratives, reveals areas of alignment and disjointment, and brings into view discursive and normative dimensions of transitions that research drawing on frameworks such as Technological Innovation Systems and the Multi-Level Perspective has often left underexamined. We also discuss important limitations, including challenges related to statement design, participant selection, and the interpretation of factors, and share practical lessons learned from applying the method across different empirical contexts. Beyond research, we suggest that Q could complement established participatory approaches in transition governance, for instance by helping to select participants who span the range of perspectives and by feeding identified narratives back into stakeholder dialogue. We conclude by outlining a research agenda to advance Q methodology in transition studies, including longitudinal designs, cross-country comparisons, mixed-methods integration and methodological refinements.