What is one typical feature of qualitative data?

Qualitative data is characterized by its subjective and narrative nature, which is fundamental to understanding human experiences, behaviors, and emotions. This type of data often emerges from interviews, open-ended survey responses, focus groups, or observations, allowing researchers to explore the depth and complexity of participants' perspectives.

The narrative aspect means that qualitative data captures the richness of context and meaning, providing insights that go beyond mere numbers. This approach is crucial in fields such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology, where understanding personal stories or cultural contexts is essential for revealing insights that quantitative methods might overlook.

In contrast, other typical features such as the reliance on visual data representation, mathematical frameworks, or large sample sizes are more aligned with quantitative data, which focuses on statistical analysis and numerical data presentation. Therefore, the subjective narrative characteristic distinctly aligns with qualitative research methods.