Which term describes research based on words and descriptions as the primary data?

Which term describes research based on words and descriptions as the primary data?

• A. Qualitative methods
• B. Quantitative methods
• C. Mixed methods
• D. Experimental design

Answer: (A)

Qualitative research uses words and descriptions as the main data. This approach aims to understand meaning, experiences, and social contexts by collecting non-numeric information such as interview transcripts, open-ended survey responses, field notes, and documents. The analysis focuses on identifying themes, patterns, and insights that emerge from people’s descriptions and narratives, rather than measuring quantities or testing numerical hypotheses. This makes it ideal for exploring how people interpret phenomena, what they value, and how contexts shape their behavior. In contrast, quantitative methods rely on numerical data and statistics to quantify relationships or test hypotheses, while mixed methods combine both qualitative and quantitative data. Experimental design is a structure often used within quantitative research to assess causal effects under controlled conditions. Since the prompt emphasizes words and descriptions as the primary data, qualitative methods are the best fit.

Qualitative research uses words and descriptions as the main data. This approach aims to understand meaning, experiences, and social contexts by collecting non-numeric information such as interview transcripts, open-ended survey responses, field notes, and documents. The analysis focuses on identifying themes, patterns, and insights that emerge from people’s descriptions and narratives, rather than measuring quantities or testing numerical hypotheses. This makes it ideal for exploring how people interpret phenomena, what they value, and how contexts shape their behavior.

In contrast, quantitative methods rely on numerical data and statistics to quantify relationships or test hypotheses, while mixed methods combine both qualitative and quantitative data. Experimental design is a structure often used within quantitative research to assess causal effects under controlled conditions. Since the prompt emphasizes words and descriptions as the primary data, qualitative methods are the best fit.