Qualitative research

The term "qualitative research" has different meanings in different fields, with the social science usage the most well-known. In the social sciences, qualitative research is a broad term that describes research that focuses on how individuals and groups view and understand the world and construct meaning out of their experiences; it is essentially narrative-oriented.

Related Topics:
Social science - Meaning - Narrative

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In statistics, qualitative analysis consists of procedures that use only dichotomous data – that is, data which can take only the values 0 (zero) and 1 (one). These techniques are suitable where events or entities can only be counted or classified rather than measured. The techniques themselves are, of course, numerically based.

Related Topics:
Statistics - Data

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In climate research, qualitative reconstructions of past temperatures rely on records of events such as frost fairs which indicate periods of cold or warmth, but give little or no information as to the degree of temperature variation. Other indicators – dates of harvest, first flowering of plants – produce information somewhere between qualitative and quantitative.

Related Topics:
Climate - Frost fairs

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