Q-method and the performance of subjectivity: Reflections from a survey of US stream restoration practitioners

•We conducted a Q-method survey of US stream restoration practitioners.•We designed and used the Q-TIP survey platform (https://qtip.geography.wisc.edu/).•Participants expressed four different views of stream restoration assessment.•These views vary on the feasibility of measuring outcomes.•Methodological rules of thumb limit Q, but we demonstrate unconventional approaches.