Qualitative vs. Quantitative Analysis: What’s the Difference?

Qualitative vs. Quantitative analysis is a topic of debate in the research world. The difference can be confusing in market research, data analysis, or other fields.

Both have their own merits and drawbacks and set of applications. Let’s explore the differences and discuss how useful they are.

What is Qualitative Data Analysis?

Qualitative data analysis is the process of collection and analysis of descriptive data. It does not involve the use of numbers. Qualitative data provides insight into people’s thoughts and feelings about a topic or an issue.

Qualitative data analysis provides a more in-depth understanding of an issue than quantitative data analysis. It helps with answering questions such as;

• What are people’s attitudes toward a particular issue?
• How do people feel about a particular product?

What is Quantitative Data Analysis?

Quantitative data analysis involves the collection and analysis of numerical data. It employs statistical methods to analyze the data and draw conclusions.

Quantitative data provides insight into the relationships between different variables. It provides a more precise understanding of an issue than qualitative data analysis. It responds to inquiries such as;

• What is the relationship between two variables?
• What is the impact of a particular intervention?

How many types of quantitative and qualitative data?

Both quantitative and qualitative data have their own types as follows:

Types of Qualitative Data

● Binary Data

Binary data can only have two values, 1 or 0. It indicates a yes or no answer to a question.

● Nominal Data

Nominal data is categorized into distinct categories. It answers questions such as;

• What is your gender?
• What is your marital status?

● Ordinal Data

Ordinal data is data that is ordered or ranked. You can use it to rank items such as movies, books, or products. It answers questions such as;

• On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with the product?
• How would you rate the food on a scale of 1 to 5?

Types of Quantitative Data

● Discrete Data

Discrete data can only take on specific, distinct values. It is helpful in market research to measure the success of a marketing campaign. You can also use it to measure customer satisfaction with a product or service.

● Continuous Data

Continuous data can take on any value within a range. Continuous data is helpful in scientific research to measure changes in the environment.

Difference between Qualitative and Quantitative Data

● Type of Data Collected

Qualitative analysis collects non-numeric data such as opinions, attitudes, and beliefs. Quantitative analysis collects numerical data such as sales numbers and market share.

● Sample Size

Qualitative analysis requires a smaller sample size since it focuses on understanding a phenomenon. Quantitative analysis requires a larger sample size since it measures and predicts trends.

● Precision

Quantitative analysis is more precise as it’s based on data that can be measured or counted. Qualitative analysis is based on subjective observations and opinions and relies on personal interpretation.

● Research Methods

Qualitative analysis relies on interviews and focus groups. Quantitative analysis, on the other hand, relies on surveys, experiments, etc.

How to Analyze Quantitative Data from a Questionnaire?

You can analyze your data with the most used tool Microsoft Excel. No doubt it is a good tool to handle data and making visualizations but still it has some limitations to provide you relevant charts which can be best mapped on your data.

As identifying the best chart to represent the data provided by the questionnaire is important. For this reason, the Likert Scale Chart is one of the most suitable.

It is effective when you use the finest chart maker to obtain the best graphs and you can’t get in in Excel without having add-in of ChartExpo. As it is an ideal tool with awesome visualizations which you really needed.

How to install ChartExpo in Excel?

1. Open your Excel application.
2. Open the worksheet and click on the “Insert” top menu.
3. Under this menu section you’ll see the “My Apps”. You can click on it.
4. Office Add-ins window will appear, click on “Store” link and search for ChartExpo on my Apps Store.
5. Once you found it, select it and click on “Add” button to install ChartExpo in your Excel.

ChartExpo charts are available both in Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. Please use the following CTA’s to install the tool of your choice and create beautiful visualizations in a few clicks in your favorite tool.

Now consider a use case in which a company needs to know about product feedback.

Feedback on each question is based on rating from 1 to 5. Below is the rating detail.

1= Strongly Disagree

2= Disagree

3=Neutral

4=Agreed

5= Strongly Agreed

Let’s create a chart using the company’s data provided below. This chart is best suited for Likert Scale Chart available in ChartExpo library.

1. Once ChartExpo is installed, Please click on the Microsoft Excel “INSERT” menu and then click on the “My Apps” submenu as shown in the screenshot below.

2. Once you click on “My Apps” sub menu, it will open the “Apps for office” window. Please select ChartExpo from the list and click on “Insert” button.

3. Once the add-in loaded into your sheet, you will see list of charts available. From this list click on Likert Scale Chart.

4. Put the data in the sheet, select the data and click “Create Chart from Selection.” button

5. ChartExpo will produce following visualization for you.

6. You can click the “Edit Chart” button to make some additions. Let’s add header text at the top of the chart. Once you can click on pencil edit icon, and “Chart Header Properties” will appear and under “Text” section you can add header text in “Line1”. Enable the “Show” button, as shown below:

7. You can click on “Apply” button, similarly you can also change the text coming with smiley faces at the bottom. Instead of numbers you can show “Agree” and “Disagree” etc. by changing the properties as shown below.

8. Click on the ‘Save Changes’ button to persist the changes, the final visualization ssssof the Likert Scale Chart will appear as shown.

Insights

• The majority gave positive feedback in response to the first question about their experience with the product. 30% strongly agree.
• For second question, 23% strongly agreed to recommend the product, 14% are slightly less agreed to recommend. While 30% were not interested.
• For third question, about using the product again, the majority of the people, 29%, strongly agreed, while 14% were strongly disagreed.
• Upon combining those who slightly disagreed (21%) and those who strongly disagreed (14%), the total came to 35%. This is more than the 34% (5%+25%) who were agreed and strongly agreed to use it again. So that needs your attention to look for your product.
• All in all, the feedback 42% are on the agreed side of the questions which were asked in the survey.

Quantitative Data Collection Methods

Methods of collecting quantitative data include surveys, experiments studies etc. Surveys are quick and easy to administer. Some examples of quantitative surveys include customer satisfaction surveys, political opinion surveys, and market research surveys.

Experiments allow researchers to test a hypothesis and measure the effects of a variable. Through observational studies, researchers can observe a phenomenon in its natural environment.

Qualitative Data Collection Methods

Qualitative data collection involves interviews, focus groups, and participant observation. With interviews, researchers ask questions and get detailed responses from participants.

Through Focus groups, researchers gather a group of participants and discuss a topic in depth. Participant observation enables researchers to examine a phenomenon in its natural setting.

FAQs:

What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative data analysis?

The main difference between qualitative and quantitative analysis is the type of data used. Qualitative analysis involves the collection and analysis of descriptive data. Quantitative analysis, on the other hand, involves collecting and analyzing numerical data.

How do you analyze quantitative data from a questionnaire?

If you have direct answers in the form of “numbers” from the questionnaires, you first organize the data into categories. Then analyze the data to identify trends or relationships.

The results can then be used to draw conclusions from the data and answer the research question. You can have better analysis for your data by using ChartExpo library.

How can qualitative analysis be used to gain insights?

Qualitative analysis can uncover the underlying motivations behind certain behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes. You can also use Qualitative analysis to identify reasons behind certain decisions. You can have better analysis for your data by using ChartExpo library.

How can qualitative and quantitative analysis be used together?

You can use qualitative and quantitative analysis together to provide a more comprehensive understanding of a situation. Qualitative analysis looks at data’s subjective and interpretive sides, such as opinions. Quantitative analysis looks at the numerical aspects of data, statistics.

What are the benefits of using both qualitative and quantitative analysis?

Organizations can gain a holistic view of their data. Qualitative analysis provides valuable insights into customer sentiment and behavior.

Quantitative can validate or disprove theories or hypotheses. They can help organizations make informed decisions and better understand their data.

Wrap Up:

Understanding qualitative vs. quantitative analysis is key to getting the most out of your data. It is important to note that quantitative and qualitative data analysis are not mutually exclusive. You can use both methods to analyze data. Each has its strengths and weaknesses.

The secret is to determine which method is most effective for your research. The main difference is that qualitative data analysis is based on the interpretation of the descriptive data. Quantitative data analysis is based on data numbers and can be used to gain insights into trends.

While collecting qualitative data, ensure that you record all the relevant information unbiasedly. When collecting quantitative data, keep track of number of people who responded on what scales.

Finally, if you are looking to create insightful charts for your data, get started with today with ChartExpo Likert Scale Charts and unlock the magic of visualization.