How does qualitative research primarily collect data?

Qualitative research primarily collects data through recorded descriptions, which may include interviews, open-ended surveys, participant observations, and various forms of narrative accounts. This method focuses on understanding human experiences, behaviors, and the meanings that individuals ascribe to them. Unlike quantitative research, which relies on numerical measurements, qualitative research seeks to gain insights into the qualities and characteristics of a phenomenon, allowing researchers to explore complex social contexts and human interactions in depth.

The emphasis on recorded descriptions is central to qualitative research, as it enables researchers to capture the richness of participants' experiences and perspectives. These descriptions can subsequently be analyzed thematically to draw conclusions about trends, patterns, and meanings within the data, making it a robust approach for exploring subjective experiences.

In contrast, options that involve numerical measurements, mathematical formulas, or analyzing statistics are fundamental to quantitative research, which seeks to quantify variables and establish patterns through numeric data. Qualitative research does not prioritize these methods, thus reinforcing that the collection of descriptive data is its hallmark.