Quantitative and Qualitative Data
The Quick Answer
Qualitative information (from quality) is a description of a trait that can be observed but not measured. For example:- The branch smells rotten.
- The branch is 4 inches thick.
What Is the Difference between Qualitative and Quantitative?
Qualitative data describes features, traits, or qualities that are not measured on numerical scales. Quantitative data deals with numbers (i.e., things that can be measured and counted).Qualitative
The adjective qualitative comes from the noun quality. It is commonly used to describe the words data or information. Qualitative information is a description of a trait that can be observed but not measured. For example:- The team is well prepared.
- The leaf feels waxy.
- The river is peaceful.
Quantitative
The adjective quantitative comes from the noun quantity. It is commonly used to describe the words data, information, or evidence. Quantitative information deals with numbers. It gives the quantity of something that can be measured (e.g., age, area, height, speed, temperature, time, volume, width). For example:- The team has 7 players.
- The leaf weighs 2 ounces.
- The river is 25 miles long.
Qualitative versus Quantitative Data
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See Also
adverse or averse? affect or effect? appraise or apprise? avenge or revenge? bare or bear? complement or compliment? dependant or dependent? discreet or discrete? disinterested or uninterested? e.g. or i.e.? envy or jealousy? imply or infer? its or it's? material or materiel? poisonous or venomous? practice or practise? principal or principle? tenant or tenet? who's or whose? Amount, quantity, and number List of easily confused words
Note
Converting Qualitative Information to Quantitative Information
Analyzing qualitative information can be difficult because the descriptions are often subjective (i.e., a matter of personal opinion), and this makes it hard to do comparisions. As a result, qualitative information is not always useful for decision-making or identifying trends.To make qualitative information easier to work with, it can be converted into quantitative information, a process which involves turning descriptions into numbers.
This chart is often used by doctors to put a value to terms such as an "achy pain" or a "piercing pain." Allocating a number to a pain level allows a comparison with previous visits.
Converting qualitative information to quantitative information can usually be done with a bit of thought. For example, the qualitative statement "Users could not find the 'Check Out Now' button" could easily be converted to the quantitative statement "40% of users did not find the 'Check Out Now' button." This allows improvements to be made and results to be analyzed.