Qualitative research is best described as?

• A. Collecting numbers to measure variables.
• B. Describing the kind and quality of a subject and interpreting events.
• C. Testing a hypothesis through controlled experiments.
• D. Using surveys to obtain large datasets

Answer: (B)

Qualitative research focuses on understanding phenomena by describing their qualities and meanings and interpreting how events unfold in context. It seeks rich, non-numeric data—like interview transcripts, observations, and textual analysis—to capture how people think, feel, and act in real-life settings. This approach emphasizes depth and context rather than counting numbers or testing hypotheses in controlled conditions. That’s why describing the kind and quality of a subject and interpreting events is the best fit. By contrast, collecting numbers to measure variables, conducting controlled experiments, or gathering large-scale survey data align with quantitative methods that seek measurement, prediction, and statistical analysis.