You may have heard the quote from that greatest of scientists, Einstein. “Not everything that counts can be counted.” It sums up very nicely why quantitative research will never tell the whole story. And with the advent of social media and its spotlight on the richness of interwoven relationships, this is more apparent than ever.Take a look at this photo. How do we capture quantitatively the complexity of feelings and associations this may arouse in us? We can’t.
Qualitative is the type of research that doesn’t count – literally. No numbers, just listening to words, watching for the little things, looking for patterns, sometimes weaving in a little poetry. It attempts to (and sometimes does) understand people’s decision making in the context of the mess of their real lives. It recognizes that we live with ambiguity. It doesn’t force answers into neat packages that can be squeezed into a behavioral model. It doesn’t assume that people’s attitudes and behavior can be categorized as variables that are treated as independent of each other. There is none of the cetera paribus of economic theory. Other things have a way of not remaining static and equal; they don’t stand still long enough.
But let’s not forget the “research” part. Listening to people talk in social media settings, or behind you on the bus, can be highly informative, but it’s hardly research. Taking what you have heard, attributing it to what you know about the source and looking for patterns and connections – now that’s research. You have to actually do something with the ingredients to be called a cook.
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