Final answer:
Qualitative methods are traditionally used in social sciences to gain a deep qualitative understanding of human behavior and society, using tools like in-depth interviews and focus groups to collect non-numerical data.
Step-by-step explanation:
Qualitative methods are more traditionally used in the social sciences, particularly in studies that aim to understand society and human behavior. This approach is closely associated with fields like sociology, anthropology, and psychology. Qualitative sociology, for instance, relies on methods such as in-depth interviews, focus groups, and participant observation to gather in-depth understanding of people's experiences, emotions, and social processes.
In contrast to quantitative data, which involves numerical measurements and statistical analysis, qualitative data is non-numerical and often consists of oral or written narratives and observations. This type of research is particularly useful when researchers wish to study complex social phenomena that are not easily reducible to numbers, such as beliefs, values, and motivations.
Qualitative methods are invaluable in fields such as medical anthropology where researchers aim to observe and document human behavior and cultural contexts firsthand. Whether through ethnographic field research or content analysis, qualitative data provides rich, nuanced insights that may be missed by solely quantitative approaches.