Qualitative research provides an excellent
way to gather in-depth information about what people think and feel.
It can provide insights on the attitudes, beliefs, motives, and behaviors
of people who are relevant to an issue or the way an organization
operates.
Qualitative methods provide subjective information in a
flexible environment, adding a dimension of research not available from other
sources. While questionnaires seek responses to a fixed set of questions, interviews, site visits,
and focus groups can explore a topic in depth. These methods allow investigators to
probe the roots of opinions and the underlying dynamics of situations. Dialogs may
take off in unexpected directions that lead to surprising insights.
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