What is the overall goal of qualitative research?

Qualitative research primarily aims to explore and understand human behavior, experiences, and social phenomena within their context. It emphasizes the subjective nature of human experiences, seeking to capture meaning from participants' perspectives. This approach often employs methods such as interviews, focus groups, and observations, allowing for a deeper insight into feelings, thoughts, and interpretations that quantitative methods may overlook.

The overall goal centers on gaining a comprehensive understanding of complex issues, rather than measuring or quantifying them. This research is valuable in fields such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology, where understanding the nuances of human experience is essential.

In contrast, the other options reflect methodologies that are more aligned with quantitative research, focusing on measurement, statistical analysis, and establishing causality, which is not the primary concern of qualitative inquiries. The emphasis on rigid scientific methods and hypothesis testing also distinguishes qualitative research from other approaches, as it prioritizes flexibility and depth over numerical data and predefined structures.