The difference between “quantitative” and “qualitative”

The difference between“quantitative“y“qualitative“

“Quantitative“y“qualitative“they are easy to confuse.“Quantitative“used with numbers and“qualitative“is used for characteristics or qualities.

Collection of articles discussing the Difference Between similar terms and things, categories range from Nature to Technology.

Quantitative. Quantitative information (from“amount“) tells us the number of something that can be measured. For example:

• The branch is 4 inches thick.
• John weighs 90kg.

Qualitative. The qualitative information (of“quality“) tells us about a trait that can be observed but not measured. For example:

• The branch smells rotten.
• John is happy.

More about“Qualitative“and“Quantitative“

Quantitative

The adjective“quantitative“comes from the noun“amount“. It is commonly used to describe the words“data“,“information“,“evidence“e“research“. Quantitative information deals with numbers. Gives the quantity of something that can be measured (for example, age, area, height, speed, temperature, time, volume, width). For example:

• The team has 7 players.
• The leaf weighs 2 ounces.
• The river is 25 miles long.

In a few words, quantitative information tells us about a quantity.

Qualitative

The adjective“qualitative“comes from the noun“quality“. It is commonly used to describe the words“data“,“information“e“research“. Qualitative information is a description of a trait that can be observed but not measured. For example:

• The team is well prepared.
• The leaf feels waxy.
• The river is peaceful.

In a few words, qualitative information tells us about a quality.

Item	Qualitative Data	Quantitative Data
Dog	He is friendly. He smells like popcorn. His coat is beautifully groomed.	He is three years old. He weighs 15 kilograms. His temperature is normal. (Note: This is quantitative data because it can be measured to attain a numerical result.)
Marcus Aurelius	It is regal. It is smooth. It invokes serenity.	It costs $200,000. It is over 500 years old. It is 25 inches tall.

Converting Qualitative Information to Quantitative Information

Analyzing qualitative data can be difficult because descriptions are often subjective (ie a matter of personal opinion) and this makes comparisons difficult. As a result, qualitative information is not always useful for decision making or trend identification.

To make it easier to work with qualitative information, it can be converted to quantitative information, a process that involves converting descriptions into numbers.

Converting qualitative information to quantitative information can usually be done with a bit of thought. For example, the qualitative statement“Users could not find the ‘Pay Now’ button“could easily be converted to the quantitative statement“40% of users did not find the ‘Pay Now’ button“. This allows you to make improvements and analyze the results.