Review It
When conducting research to answer a question, you are likely to come across two forms of information, qualitative and quantitative.
Let’s review these forms of information and some examples of each.
| Qualitative | Quantitative |
|---|---|
| Describes something in words. Data or information is observed but cannot be measured. |
Describes something in numbers. Data or information is observed and measured. |
| Examples: | Examples: |
| Interviews An example is this video interview from Friends of the National WWII MemorialOpens a new window of a World War II veteran. |
Charts An example of a chart is this information about deaths in World War IIOpens a new window from www.world-war-2.info. |
| Newspaper articles An example of a newspaper article is this New York Times articleOpens a new window covering President Roosevelt's declaration of war on Japan. |
Graphs An example of a graph is this one about World War II deathsOpens a new window from World War 2 facts. |
| Diaries or journals An example of a diary or journal is Anne Frank's account of hiding from the Germans for two years during World War II. Here are some brief excerptsOpens a new window from annefrank.com. |
Numbers An example of numbers is this timeline of World War II facts and figuresOpens a new window from the World War II Foundation. |
| Photographs An example of a photograph is the raising of the American flag at Iwo JimaOpens a new window from the Library of Congress. |
Measurements An example of measurements is this diagramOpens a new window of a military vessel, posted on Wikimedia Commons. |
Tip
When conducting research, you need to compare the qualitative and quantitative sources of information in order to connect significant details and ideas for you to draw conclusions.
