Qualitative research is the process of:

• collecting

• analyzing

• interpreting non-numerical data

Qualitative research can be used to understand how an individual subjectively perceives and gives meaning to their social reality.

Qualitative data is defined as non-numerical data:

• text

• video

• photographs

• audio recordings.

This type of data can be collected using diary accounts or in-depth interviews, and analyzed using grounded theory or thematic analysis.

Quantitative research involves the process of objectively collecting and analyzing numerical data to describe, predict, or control variables of interest.

The goals of quantitative research are to test causal relationships between variables, make predictions, and generalize results to wider populations.