Qualitative or quantitative data alone cannot confirm anything, but has to be analyzed to uncover meaning in relation to the research questions. The method of analysis is differentiated for each type of data.

Analyzing quantitative data 

Quantitative data is grounded in numbers. Simple math or more advanced statistical analysis is used to discover consistency in the data. The results are then represented in graphs and tables. Applications such as Excel, SPSS, or R can be used to calculate things like:

• Average scores
• The number of times a particular answer was given
• The relationship  between two or more variables
• The reliability and validity of the findings

Analyzing qualitative data

Qualitative data is more difficult to analyze than quantitative data. It consists of text, images or videos instead of numbers. Some common approaches to analyzing qualitative data include:

• Qualitative Analysis: Identifying the occurrence, position, and meaning of words or phrases
• Thematic Analysis: Closely  exploring the data to identify the main themes and patterns
• Discourse Analysis: Examining  how communication works in social contexts