- Home
- Services
- Products
- About Us
- Locations
- News
- Industries
- Resources
- Contact
Newtown Square • Philadelphia • Detroit • Cincinnati • Sacramento • Rochester • Willow Grove • Orlando • Buffalo
Quick answer: Quantitative market research measures what is happening with numbers, using structured surveys and large samples. Qualitative market research explains why it is happening, using focus groups and in-depth interviews with smaller groups. Many businesses use both: qualitative to explore and quantitative to measure.
In general, quantitative and qualitative research are two different mindsets and quite different approaches to market research. But both have their merits and places. When do you use one approach over another? What are the benefits of each? We draw the distinctions between quantitative data collection and qualitative market research below.
| Factor | Quantitative Research | Qualitative Research |
|---|---|---|
| Core question | How many? How often? How much? | Why? How? What does it mean? |
| Type of data | Numbers, percentages, statistics | Words, observations, stories |
| Sample size | Large, usually hundreds to thousands | Small, usually 8 to 40 participants |
| Common methods | Online surveys, telephone interviews, mail surveys, IVR | Focus groups, in-depth interviews, face-to-face and online moderated discussions, central location testing |
| Question format | Structured, mostly closed-ended | Open-ended, flexible discussion guide |
| Analysis | Statistical analysis and significance testing | Thematic analysis and interpretation |
| Best for | Sizing markets, tracking, validating, prioritizing | Exploring ideas, testing early concepts, understanding motivations |
Qualitative research uncovers the thoughts, feelings, and motivations behind consumer behavior. Trained moderators guide open conversations through focus groups, in-depth interviews, and face-to-face interviews. Research America hosts qualitative sessions in its own focus group facilities, including locations in Philadelphia, Sacramento, and Orlando.
Quantitative research turns opinions and behaviors into measurable data that can be projected to a larger population. Common approaches include web surveys, telephone interviews, and postal mail surveys. The results feed data analysis and interpretation, as well as programs such as customer satisfaction surveys and consumer segmentation.
The best way to determine whether quantitative or qualitative market research is right for your business is to examine your goals and objectives. Sometimes a combination of the two approaches provides the best insights to make informed business decisions. An expert market research company, such as Research America, will help guide you through the process and get results. See how we have applied both methods in our case studies, or contact us at 610.356.1800 to discuss market research solutions for your most pressing questions.
Quantitative market research measures behavior and opinions with numbers, using structured surveys and large samples to answer how many, how often, and how much. Qualitative market research explores the reasons behind behavior through open-ended conversations with smaller groups, such as focus groups and in-depth interviews, to answer why and how.
Use qualitative research when you need to understand motivations, emotions, and language before you measure anything. It works well for exploring new product ideas, testing early concepts, uncovering unmet needs, and shaping the right questions for a later survey. It is also useful when you need to explain an unexpected result from quantitative data.
Use quantitative research when you need measurable, statistically reliable answers. It is the right choice for sizing a market, tracking brand awareness or customer satisfaction over time, comparing concepts or messages, segmenting customers, and validating findings from qualitative research across a larger, representative sample.
The most common qualitative methods are focus groups, in-depth interviews (IDIs), face-to-face interviews, ideation sessions, and in-home or in-store observation. These methods rely on a trained moderator and a flexible discussion guide, which lets researchers follow up on answers and dig deeper into what participants really think.
Common quantitative methods include online (web) surveys, telephone interviews, postal mail surveys, interactive voice response (IVR) surveys, and intercept surveys. Each uses a structured questionnaire with mostly closed-ended questions, so responses can be counted, compared, and tested for statistical significance.
Qualitative studies usually involve small samples, such as 6 to 10 people per focus group or 15 to 30 in-depth interviews. Quantitative studies need larger samples to produce reliable statistics. For example, about 385 completed surveys give a margin of error of roughly plus or minus 5 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.
Yes. Many of the strongest studies use a mixed methods approach. A common sequence is qualitative research first to explore the topic and build hypotheses, then a quantitative survey to measure them. Some teams reverse the order, using qualitative follow-ups to explain surprising survey results.
Have more questions? Visit our market research FAQs.
Call
Contact