Q Methodology within a Transdisciplinary Shift in Applied Linguistics: Innovations and Future Directions

The transdisciplinary shift of applied linguistics requires using innovative research methods to solve core problems and to develop its own methodological repertoire.Drawing on the transdisciplinary perspective, this paper first analyzes the ontological integration of subjectivity and objectivity, the epistemological perspective of knowledge as complex and emergent, and the logic of the Included Middle underpinning Q methodology.Then it differentiates Q methodology from other commonly used methods to highlight its methodological strengths, followed by a step-by-step explanation of its application and a thematic analysis of core topics.It concludes by pointing out future directions of Q method-driven research and discusses how to push the boundary of applied linguistics within the transdisciplinary shift.