Data Analysis for Qualitative Information

As is the case with most decisions in public and nonprofit management, there often is not a “right” or “correct” answer. This is the case with qualitative measurement. Variables may be measured in a variety of ways. Some variables lend themselves to numbers and quantification. Income is a perfect example of this. However, other variables are better measured with words or narrative descriptions. If you want to learn about someone’s experiences participating in a program, you may want to use open-ended questions in an interview or survey to collect this information. This data is qualitative in nature and would be entirely appropriate for your purposes.

Determine what information needs to be measured in a qualitative fashion in your evaluation of the organization’s program, problem, or policy. Consider what types of qualitative data would be appropriate for your Final Project and the tools and techniques you would use to analyze this information.

Post a description of the qualitative data and the analytical tools and techniques that would be most useful for evaluating your organization’s program, problem, or policy. Justify the use of these tools and techniques, and explain why they are the most appropriate for use in your evaluation.