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this core intellectual need. And yet its numerical facade belies
the deeply human hopes that drive this work. Quantitative
Uncovering research is undertaken by living and inspiring scientists and
enduring truths academicians seeking wisdom about the world we inhabit.
We quantify not just for practical aims but because, deep
down, we believe that numbers can lead us to timeless truths.
That is to say, we, since early ages, observe, theorise and test
- all in hope of uncovering truths about the nature of things.

Qualitative Research - To truly comprehend this
complex world, we must look beyond numbers and
statistics. Qualitative research allows us to do just that. It
seeks not to measure but to understand - to dig deep into

Journeying the human experience. Through interviews, observations,
beyond statistics and immersions into cultures and communities, qualitative
researchers glimpse the inner workings of society. They
come to know people's stories, motivations, and perspectives.
The qualitative researcher is like an explorer venturing into
uncharted territory, led by curiosity rather than by charts and
instruments.

This spirit of open-ended inquiry yields insights that
quantitative data alone cannot provide. It brings context and
meaning to human behaviour. Though qualitative findings
may not be neatly generalisable, they enlighten us about
Illuminating the lived realities and experiences behind the numbers. So
complexities we embrace qualitative research for its power to elucidate,

illuminate and emphasise. For only by plunging into the
complexities of social life can we hope to comprehend it. The
quantitative keeps us grounded, but the qualitative gives us
wings. On the shoulders of both, we journey toward wisdom.

Fig. 1.2.2 Difference between qualitative and quantitative research

30 SGOU - SLM - Foundational Skills for Research and Writing