Qualitatif

Qualitatif is the French term for qualitative, used to describe qualities, attributes, or phenomena that are not expressed in numeric form. In French-language scholarship, the word is used to distinguish non-numerical data and analyses from quantitatif (quantitative).

Qualitatif research seeks to understand meaning, experience, and context from the perspective of participants. It relies on non-numerical data such as interviews, observations, field notes, and textual documents. Methods include open coding, thematic analysis, discourse analysis, ethnography, and case studies. Sampling is often purposive or theoretical rather than random.

Data are typically interpreted to identify patterns, themes, or concepts rather than to estimate population parameters. Findings emphasize depth, context, and complexity, and conclusions are often transferable rather than generalizable in the statistical sense.

In other domains, qualitatif describes properties that are inherent qualities of things rather than measurements. In computing or product evaluation, qualitatif can refer to qualities such as usability or aesthetics, as opposed to measurable metrics.

In French, the corresponding opposite is quantitatif, and many disciplines distinguish between données qualitatives (qualitative data) and données quantitatives (quantitative data).