Félkvantitatív

Félkvantitatív refers to a descriptive approach that falls between purely qualitative and strictly quantitative methods. It involves assigning numerical values or categories to observations, but these assignments are not based on precise measurement or rigorous statistical analysis. Instead, they often rely on subjective judgment, expert opinion, or general estimations. The goal is to provide a more structured and comparable way to describe phenomena that are difficult to quantify precisely.

This method is commonly employed in fields where exact measurement is impractical or unnecessary. For instance, in risk assessment, potential risks might be classified as "low," "medium," or "high," which are not precise numerical values but offer a scale for comparison. Similarly, in some scientific observations, qualitative data might be grouped into ordinal categories to identify trends or patterns. The "félkvantitatív" nature lies in the fact that while categories or ranks are used, they don't necessarily imply equal intervals or a true zero point.

The advantage of a félkvantitatív approach is its ability to bridge the gap between rich, descriptive qualitative data and the rigor of quantitative analysis. It allows for a degree of comparability and summarization without demanding the level of precision that might be unattainable or overly burdensome. However, its limitations include potential subjectivity in classification and the inability to perform certain types of statistical operations that require precise numerical data. Despite these limitations, it serves as a valuable tool for initial exploration, communication of complex ideas, and situations where a high degree of precision is not the primary objective.