💬 vs 🔢 Qualitative vs quantitative
Qualitative research
Collects opinions, feelings and reasons — the 'why' behind customer behaviour.
- Methods: interviews, focus groups, open-ended survey questions
- Gives rich, detailed insights
- Hard to analyse statistically
- Smaller samples, more depth
Quantitative research
Collects numerical data — the 'how many' or 'how much'.
- Methods: surveys with closed questions, sales data, statistics
- Easy to analyse using graphs and charts
- Can compare and spot trends
- Larger samples, less depth
Qualitative = quality of opinions (words). Quantitative = quantity of numbers (stats). Most businesses need both! 🔤🔢
🎯 When to use each type
- Use qualitative when you need to understand why customers feel a certain way
- Use quantitative when you need hard numbers to support a decision
- Launching a new product? Start with qualitative (explore ideas), then quantitative (test demand)
- Writing a business plan? Quantitative data convinces investors
- Trying to improve customer experience? Qualitative feedback gives real insights
Exam tip: If a question asks about research methods, mention BOTH types and explain which suits the situation better.