It’s tempting to define “qualitative research” by what it is not. It is not based on statistics or surveys or experiments; that is, it is not quantitative research.
But it’s also important to understand what qualitative research is – an approach used largely in the social sciences to explore social interactions, systems and processes. It provides an in-depth understanding of the ways people come to understand, act and manage their day-to-day situations in particular settings.
To put it simply, quantitative research uses numbers to help us understand “what” is happening (as well as “why” and “how” it is happening). Qualitative research uses words and images to help us understand more about “why” and “how” something is happening (and, sometimes “what” is happening).
