Quantitative

Qualitative

Qualitative QuantitativeData/InformationQuality

noun

‘having to do with a characteristic, feature or aspectthat stands out.’

Quantitynoun

‘having to do with number and measurement – that can be specified

or indefinite’.

Qualitativeadjective

‘relating to a characteristic, feature or aspect that stands out.’

Quantitativeadjective

‘relating to numbers and measurement –that can be specified or indefinite.’

Adjective: A ‘describing’ word. A word naming the attributes of a noun.

Noun: A word that identifies – places, persons or things.

Qualitative QuantitativeData/InformationQualitative:

Descriptive information (data), which often comes from interviews, focus groups or artistic depictions such as photographs.

Quantitative: Numerical or statistical information (data), which often comes from surveys, surveillance or from administration records.

Data: Data is ‘unorganized’ information.

Information: Information is ‘organized’ data.

Qualitative Quantitative

EvidenceQualitative Evidence: provides richer, deeper and broader information based on a few individuals or case examples. This type of evidence is valuable for describing:

• How? and• Why?

Quantitative Evidence: provides a good overall picture of a population or geographical region. It can also often be used to measure trends over time. This type of evidence is valuable for describing:

• Who?• What?• Where? and• When?

Qualitative Quantitative

ResearchQualitative(subjective)

involves

Data Summary

Subjective conclusions Interviews

Focus groups Observations

Quantitative(objective)

involves

Information Statistical Analysis

Objective conclusions Surveys

Experiments

Objective: Speaking to or about the data/information with NO PERSONAL perspective or point of view.

Subjective: Speaking to or about the data/information with a PERSONAL perspective or point of view.

Qualitative Quantitative

Qualitative exampleQualitative: Colours and shapes provide information about the ice cream treats sold by this truck.

Qualitative data like this provides descriptive information that cannot be communicated with numbers.

Photograph by Varun Gupta

Qualitative Quantitative

Qualitative exampleQualitative: Girls advertise a garage sale by promising low prices. Without providing a specific price, the information that prices are low is a piece of qualitative data.

The actual prices would be quantitative, or numeric, data.

Photograph by Charlene Banta, MyShot

Qualitative Quantitative

Quantitative exampleQuantitative: Signs that display numeric information are communicating quantitative data. Quantitative data are any pieces of information that can be displayed using numbers. Populations, distances, prices, and other measurements are common forms of quantitative data.

Photograph by Joe Enenbach, MyShot

Qualitative Quantitative

Quantitative exampleQuantitative: A roadside sign advertises prices, a common form of quantitative data, for fruit in a rural area of New Zealand.

Rockmelon is another name for cantaloupe.

Photograph by Shelley Daber, MyShot

Qualitative Quantitative

DistinctionsA frequent flyer might make a QUALITATIVE OBSERVATION (personal perspective) that the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, in the U.S. state of Georgia, is very busy. The QUANTITATIVE DATA about passenger traffic at Hartsfield-Jackson would prove that the airport is, in fact, the busiest in the world:

• In 2008, 90,039,280 passengers used Hartsfield-Jackson. • In 2009, 88,032,086 passengers used Hartsfield-Jackson. • In 2010, 89,331,622 passengers used Hartsfield-Jackson. • In 2011, 92,389,023 passengers used Hartsfield-Jackson. • In 2012, 94,956,643 passengers used Hartsfield-Jackson. • In 2013, 94,430,785 passengers used Hartsfield-Jackson. • In 2014, 96,178,899 passengers used Hartsfield-Jackson.

Qualitative Quantitative

DistinctionsAn avid hot chocolate drinker may make a QUALTITATIVE statement by stating his personal opinion, that his hot chocolate is hotter than your hot chocolate. But that personal opinion is not as informative when the two hot chocolates are tested and QUANTITATIVE DATA is produced to state that:

“His hot chocolate is 100 degrees Fahrenheit; therefore, it is 30 degrees hotter than yours, which is 70 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Qualitative Quantitative

LimitationsQualitative: Qualitative evidence is often gathered in small studies and based on the experiences of a very few individuals, which means that one of its limitations is that an entire population may not be well represented.

Quantitative: One of the limitations of quantitative evidence is that it is typically “cleaned up” or “smoothed out”. This is done to reduce the influence of outstanding cases, as well as to compare evidence to other places or populations. Unfortunately, this practice can result in unusual cases being hidden.

Webography & Resources• National Geographic: Qualitative Data• National Geographic: Quantitative Data• Define Quantitative and Qualitative Evidence

Assembled by: A. Ballas