How is qualitative research defined?

Qualitative research is characterized by its focus on understanding concepts, thoughts, or experiences through non-numerical data. This type of research seeks to gain insight into underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations, making it instrumental in exploring the complexity of human behavior and social phenomena. It often involves methods such as interviews, focus groups, and observations, which allow researchers to gather detailed and rich data that provide a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

This approach contrasts with quantitative research, which emphasizes numerical data and aims to quantify variables, often focusing on statistical analysis to derive general conclusions. Qualitative research, on the other hand, prioritizes the depth and context of the information over establishing general trends and patterns.

Combining qualitative and quantitative methods can offer a comprehensive perspective, but that represents a different methodological approach than pure qualitative research, which remains centered on the exploration of subjective experiences rather than numerical analysis or statistical validation. Hence, the definition that underscores qualitative research focuses on the non-numerical nature of the data and the pursuit of understanding individual or group meaning makes it the most accurate choice.