In qualitative research, data is primarily collected through:

Qualitative research focuses on understanding human behavior, experiences, and emotions through in-depth exploration rather than quantification. The primary methods used for data collection in qualitative research are interviews and observations.

Interviews allow researchers to gather nuanced responses from participants, providing insights into their thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. This method enables an interactive dialogue where follow-up questions can be posed, leading to more comprehensive data rich in context and detail.

Observations, meanwhile, involve the researcher directly witnessing behaviors in their natural context. This approach can reveal actions and interactions that participants might not articulate in an interview, thus offering a broader understanding of the subject being studied.

In contrast, surveys and experiments tend to lean towards quantitative research, where structured data is collected under controlled conditions. Statistical analysis is predominantly a quantitative method focused on numerical data, and secondary data review often concerns itself with analyzing pre-existing information rather than generating new insights through participant engagement. Thus, the combination of interviews and observations aligns perfectly with the goals of qualitative research, emphasizing context, meaning, and the subjective experience of individuals.