Qualitative data

• Data presented in written from with more insight (verstehen) into lives of others
• Used by interpretivists = meanings behind behaviour of groups
• Used to understand people's meanings of behaviour and access hard-to-reach groups under represented in society, with social action explanations
• Best for gaining insight into lives and experiences of individuals often ignored by society
• Qualitative methods

  • Participant observations
  • Unstructured interviews
  • Open questionnaires
  • Personal/historical documents
  • Case studies
  • Ethnographies