Which methods rely on words, meanings, and descriptions rather than numbers?

Which methods rely on words, meanings, and descriptions rather than numbers?

• A. Qualitative methods
• B. Quantitative methods
• C. Mixed methods
• D. Statistical methods

Answer: (A)

The key idea is understanding how data are captured and interpreted. Qualitative methods focus on non-numeric information—words, meanings, descriptions gathered from interviews, observations, and textual analysis—to explore how people experience and interpret phenomena in their context. This approach aims for depth, nuance, and understanding rather than numerical measurement. In contrast, quantitative methods rely on numbers and statistics to measure variables and test hypotheses, while statistical methods are a subset of those numeric techniques. Mixed methods combine both approaches, but the emphasis on descriptive language and meaning without converting everything to numbers points to qualitative methods as the best fit.

The key idea is understanding how data are captured and interpreted. Qualitative methods focus on non-numeric information—words, meanings, descriptions gathered from interviews, observations, and textual analysis—to explore how people experience and interpret phenomena in their context. This approach aims for depth, nuance, and understanding rather than numerical measurement. In contrast, quantitative methods rely on numbers and statistics to measure variables and test hypotheses, while statistical methods are a subset of those numeric techniques. Mixed methods combine both approaches, but the emphasis on descriptive language and meaning without converting everything to numbers points to qualitative methods as the best fit.