Which data type is primarily associated with qualitative research?

Qualitative research is primarily concerned with exploring complex phenomena through a deep understanding of human behavior, experiences, and social contexts. The data type that aligns with this research approach is textual or descriptive data. This type of data captures the richness and depth of individuals’ perspectives, emotions, and experiences, allowing researchers to uncover patterns and meanings that numerical data alone may not reveal.

In qualitative research, data is collected through methods such as interviews, focus groups, open-ended survey questions, and observations, all of which generate descriptive accounts rather than counts or measurements. This enables researchers to explore how individuals interpret their experiences and construct their realities.

In contrast, numerical data, graphs, charts, and statistical data are characteristic of quantitative research, which seeks to measure and analyze phenomena through structured methodologies and statistical analysis. Qualitative research's focus on understanding nuances and context is what distinctly categorizes textual or descriptive data as the primary data type associated with it.