Vanguard Economics is a data, research and analytics firm. Our work is focused on maximising the impact private sector development, trade & logistics, and the commercialisation of agriculture can have on delivering transformation for markets and populations across Africa. We offer full cycle support for research projects and evaluations, from data collection to advisory and implementation services and data analysis services.
With a 21 person strong team, the data, and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) department is responsible for a number of stakeholders such as the Mastercard Foundation and UNECA. The team’s expertise lies in both qualitative and quantitative research.
What is Qualitative Data?
Qualitative data is defined as data that approximates and characterizes. It can be observed and recorded.
This data type is non-numerical in nature. This type of data is collected through methods of observations, one-to-one interviews, conducting focus groups, and similar methods.
Qualitative data in statistics is also known as categorical data – data that can be arranged categorically based on the attributes and properties of a thing or a phenomenon.
It’s pretty easy to understand the difference between qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data does not include numbers in its definition of traits, whereas quantitative research data is all about numbers.
What is Qualitative Data Collection?
Qualitative data collection is gathering non-numerical information, such as words, images, and observations, to understand individuals’ attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, and motivations in a specific context. It is an approach used in qualitative research. It seeks to understand social phenomena through in-depth exploration and analysis of people’s perspectives, experiences, and narratives. In statistical analysis, distinguishing between categorical data and numerical data is essential, as categorical data involves distinct categories or labels, while numerical data consists of measurable quantities.
The data collected through qualitative methods are often subjective, open-ended, and unstructured and can provide a rich and nuanced understanding of complex social phenomena.
What is the need for Qualitative Data Collection?
Qualitative research is a type of study carried out with a qualitative approach to understand the exploratory reasons and to assay how and why a specific program or phenomenon operates in the way it is working. A researcher can access numerous qualitative data collection methods that he/she feels are relevant.
