What is a significant feature of qualitative research?

A significant feature of qualitative research is its emphasis on exploring new theories and concepts through detailed insights. Qualitative research seeks to understand the underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations behind human behavior by gathering non-numerical data. This approach allows researchers to capture complex phenomena and gain a deeper understanding of subjective experiences.

Through methods such as interviews, focus groups, and observations, qualitative research can uncover rich, contextual data that provides valuable insights into social phenomena, cultural practices, and individuals' thoughts and feelings. This is particularly useful in fields like market research, psychology, and sociology, where understanding the nuances of human experience is crucial.

Other approaches that prioritize statistical methods or numerical data, such as those that rely on large sample sizes for generalization, are characteristic of quantitative research rather than qualitative. These methodologies serve different purposes, with qualitative research focusing more on depth and context over statistical representativeness.