Quantitative Research
Research that tells you how many and how often.
Definition
Research producing numeric data that can be aggregated and analysed statistically.
Craft convention. True because the industry converged on it. Breaking it costs familiarity, not correctness.
On this plate
In plain language
Research that tells you how many and how often.
Example
A funnel showing 43 percent of users abandon at the payment step.
Commonly confused with
Close neighbours that get substituted for each other. The difference is stated first, then the condition that picks one over the other.
Qualitative Research
TermNon-numerical evidence about reasons, behaviour and context.
Key difference
Qualitative research explains why, from a small number of people observed closely. Quantitative research measures how many or how much, from a sample large enough to generalise. Neither answers the other's question.
Use Quantitative Research when
- You need to know how widespread something is.
- The claim has to hold beyond the people you spoke to.
- The output is a rate, a time or a comparison.
Use Qualitative Research when
- You need the cause behind a pattern.
- The sample is small and depth matters more than count.
- The output is themes and quotes, not percentages.
Local chart
TERM·020 · Region X · Grid C6
This entry and the entries it is stated to connect with. Each line is labelled with what the connection means.
Continue from here
Each link says what the connection is, so you can tell a principle from an alternative from a thing people mix this up with.
Deeper reading
The full entry behind this definition.
- A/B TestingRES·009 · Research method
- Product AnalyticsRES·010 · Research method
- SurveysRES·004 · Research method