Which option is a qualitative study?

Which option is a qualitative study?

• A. Systematic review of descriptive studies
• B. Single qualitative study
• C. Randomized controlled trial
• D. Meta-analysis

Answer: (B)

Qualitative research aims to understand how people experience and interpret phenomena, using non-numeric data like interview transcripts, observations, and open-ended responses to uncover themes and meanings. A single qualitative study is the best example because its design centers on collecting and analyzing such data to reveal participants’ perspectives in depth. The other options are not qualitative investigations: a randomized controlled trial uses numeric outcomes to test interventions; a meta-analysis combines statistical results across studies; and a systematic review of descriptive studies summarizes existing literature and typically does not produce new qualitative insights from primary data.

Qualitative research aims to understand how people experience and interpret phenomena, using non-numeric data like interview transcripts, observations, and open-ended responses to uncover themes and meanings. A single qualitative study is the best example because its design centers on collecting and analyzing such data to reveal participants’ perspectives in depth. The other options are not qualitative investigations: a randomized controlled trial uses numeric outcomes to test interventions; a meta-analysis combines statistical results across studies; and a systematic review of descriptive studies summarizes existing literature and typically does not produce new qualitative insights from primary data.