Which is a common disadvantage of qualitative evaluation relative to quantitative?

• A. It cannot provide in-depth insights.
• B. It is easily generalized to larger populations.
• C. It is quicker to analyze statistically.
• D. It often lacks numerical data for broad comparisons.

Answer: (D)

Qualitative methods deliver rich, in-depth insights from smaller samples, focusing on meaning and context rather than numbers. Because the data are descriptive—words, interviews, observations—they don’t naturally provide numerical measures that can be used for broad, statistical comparisons across large populations. That makes it hard to generalize findings or directly compare results on a wide scale, which is a common disadvantage when contrasting with quantitative approaches that rely on numeric data and larger samples.

Note that the other statements don’t fit qualitative work: qualitative research is strong at producing detailed insights, not at providing broad generalizations through numbers, and it isn’t typically faster to analyze statistically since analysis is interpretive and often time-consuming.