What type of data does qualitative research primarily focus on?

Qualitative research primarily focuses on data from personal experiences and observations. This approach is centered around understanding the complexities of human behavior and social phenomena through in-depth insights and subjective interpretations. It prioritizes the meaning individuals assign to experiences, which can include interviews, open-ended surveys, participant observations, and case studies. Such qualitative data allows researchers to explore attitudes, beliefs, and emotions in a way that numerical data cannot, providing a richer and more nuanced understanding of social contexts.

In contrast, the other options emphasize different forms of data collection and analysis. Numerical data and statistics pertain to quantitative research, which seeks to quantify aspects of social life and draw statistical conclusions. Experimental and controlled data refer to methods often used in natural and social sciences to establish cause-and-effect relationships under controlled conditions. Lastly, large datasets and quantitative analysis focus on handling vast amounts of numerical data to discern patterns and correlations, which is distinct from the subjective, narrative-driven nature of qualitative research.