Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is a type of research used to gain insight into underlying motivations, opinions and meanings from qualitative information collected during interviews, focus groups and observations.

Qualitative research is an invaluable tool for gaining deeper insights into the underlying motivations and meanings behind people’s actions and opinions. It can take many forms, including one-on-one interviews, focus groups, and general observations.  

In a qualitative research project, researchers usually collect information through interviews, focus groups, and/or observations. During an interview, the researcher can ask open-ended questions designed to elicit personal, often emotional, insights from the responses. During a focus group, the researcher asks a group of people related questions in order to get a range of responses. Lastly, in an observation context, the researcher can observe behaviour in its actual environment without the participants’ knowledge or recognition.

In the analysis of qualitative data, researchers utilize their experience and expertise to decipher the nuanced meanings behind the data. They look for themes and patterns in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the underlying meaning of the data.

In order to provide the best-possible product design, a company may conduct qualitative research to get a better understanding of their users’ perspectives. For example, an interview with a user might reveal that the user feels frustrated when the product is not intuitive enough or difficult to use. This insight could be used to inform the design process, adding features and making changes to ensure that the user experience is smoother and more enjoyable.