qualitative

Qualitative describes characteristics, properties, or phenomena that are not measured with numbers. In research and analysis, it refers to data, methods, and interpretations that focus on meanings, experiences, and social context rather than numerical measurement. The term is used across disciplines to distinguish non-numeric evidence from quantitative data.

Qualitative data consist of non-numeric materials such as interview transcripts, field notes, photographs, videos, and documents. They capture how people understand and experience the world, including motives, beliefs, and social interactions. Analyzing qualitative data involves identifying patterns, themes, and concepts to illuminate processes, relationships, and contexts.

Qualitative research employs naturalistic, flexible designs and often inductive reasoning. Common methods include in-depth interviews, focus groups, participant observation, case studies, and content or discourse analysis. Analysis typically involves coding data, organizing codes into themes, and developing theories or explanations grounded in the data, with approaches such as thematic analysis, grounded theory, or narrative analysis.

Qualitative and quantitative approaches are distinct but complementary. While qualitative work emphasizes depth, context, and meaning, quantitative work emphasizes measurement, variables, and statistical inference. Mixed-methods research combines both to leverage the strengths of each. Limitations of qualitative research can include potential researcher bias, limited generalizability due to small or specific samples, and challenges in establishing reliability and validity. Strengths include rich, context-rich insights and the ability to explore complex phenomena that numbers alone cannot capture.

Applications span many fields, including the social sciences, education, health, anthropology, and market research. Outputs are typically descriptive accounts, themes, case studies, or theoretical frameworks that help explain how people experience phenomena and why outcomes occur.