Third Culture / Dialog & Insights, Inc.

What is qualitative research?

Qualitative research is a non-numerical method of inquiry aimed at gaining an in-depth understanding of human behaviour and the reasons that underlie it. 

Qualitative methods differ from quantitative ones, most commonly associated with survey research, in the following ways:

• Qualitative research aims to understand how and why whereas quantitative research seeks to answer what, where  and when
• Qualitative research is used to explore phenomena in order to generate new hypotheses which quantitative research can then be used to test
• In qualitative research, analysis is usually centered on language, symbols and meaning and based on approaches that are rather holistic and contextual whereas quantitative analysis is done through isolation and reduction

“Quantitative information is historical in nature.  Qualitative…is all about the more stable values that underlie the numbers.  Qual done well should be about enduring values, basic needs and is less volatile than Quant.”

-Walt Kendall, Cambridge Associates-