We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Science

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Are Qualitative Indicators?

M. McGee
By
Updated: May 21, 2024
Views: 21,735
Share

Qualitative indicators are non-numerical factors for determining level of progress towards a specific goal. Qualitative data is based on opinions, feelings or viewpoints rather than hard facts or numbers. These factors are used to measure things that have no numerical constant, like a group’s sense of hope for the future. An indicator is a segment of information that gives a sense of the direction to the information — such as whether the feeling of hope is greater or less than in the same time in the previous year. Indicators are used to determine how quickly a process is happening or how close a process is to completion.

The term ‘qualitative indicators’ is made up of two very important research concepts. Qualitative and quantitative information make up the two types of discoverable information. Quantitative is generally the easiest to understand and manipulate since it is based on numbers and hard facts. When information can’t be measured or reproduced, then it is typically qualitative. Knowing that a jar contains 3,745 jellybeans is quantitative but comparing the taste of the jellybeans to chocolate cake is qualitative.

The second term, indicator, refers to a step along the developmental process. During an ongoing research process, the people involved have a general idea of where they think the process will end up. This end goal is based on the hypothesis the researcher used when designing the experiment. Along the way, the researcher will determine small steps, the indicators, which show the direction of the experiment. For example, in testing a new drug, the researcher may use a measurement of the symptoms relating to a condition as an indicator.

The combination of the terms, qualitative indicators, are small and non-measurable steps. To continue the medical test example, a qualitative indicator would be the number of people that feel better while on the new drug. A quantitative example in the same experiment might be a change in blood pressure, at rest heart rate or physical tumor size. When the qualitative indicators are used within the study it would read as, ‘23% of patients reported feeling better within one week and 56% were feeling better at the end of week two.’ The sense of wellness cannot be measured directly but it is assessed at the end of each week.

Since qualitative indicators do not lead to hard facts or numbers, they are often seen as a marketing tool or a way to hide failed experiments. While this is likely true in some cases, many fields use qualitative data above quantitative. Understanding a subject’s reaction to a product or situation is often of more use than knowing how many minutes it took for someone to calm down after a scare. This is especially true in anthropology, marketing and social work, where the numbers can often hide a deeper issue.

Share
All The Science is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
M. McGee
By M. McGee
Mark McGee is a skilled writer and communicator who excels in crafting content that resonates with diverse audiences. With a background in communication-related fields, he brings strong organizational and interpersonal skills to his writing, ensuring that his work is both informative and engaging.
Discussion Comments
M. McGee
M. McGee
Mark McGee is a skilled writer and communicator who excels in crafting content that resonates with diverse audiences....
Learn more
Share
https://www.allthescience.org/what-are-qualitative-indicators.htm
Copy this link
All The Science, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

All The Science, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.