Quarterly Update
A message from Pew Research Center President Michael Dimock · Subscribe ↗
Dear readers,
At Pew Research Center, we use many methods to help us understand the world around us, from polling to demographic research to “big data.” But these methods – often referred to as “quantitative” research – can’t answer all the questions that we and our readers have. Sometimes there are important voices that even our most ambitious quantitative projects can’t represent. In other cases, this kind of data may give us a good picture of what people are thinking and experiencing, but it doesn’t quite capture the why or how of those experiences or beliefs. In these cases, we use “qualitative” research to bring more depth and perspective to our data.
What is qualitative research? In qualitative research, we conduct focus groups or structured, in-depth interviews to hear from people in their own voices. Most recently, we used this approach to explore the experiences of Asian Americans, as well as transgender and nonbinary Americans. Since we don’t have numbers to analyze, we instead categorize themes that emerge about people’s experiences, views and values. These insights bring color and context to our quantitative research findings and give us a fuller understanding of public opinion.
Why do we use qualitative research? Qualitative research is an important part of our research toolkit. It helps us improve our survey questions, especially on complex issues, by giving us a more nuanced understanding of people’s thoughts and experiences, and even the language they use to describe them. And it allows us to explore research questions related to smaller populations that would be hard to sample with a traditional survey.
What should I consider when reading a qualitative report? Unlike surveys and demographic data, qualitative data is not broadly representative of a larger population. We are only able to report on the views and values of the small number of people we actually talk to, with no guess as to how widespread their views are. (To learn more about the importance of random selection in surveys, check out this video from my colleague Courtney Kennedy.) If you see a qualitative study claiming to speak for “everyone” in a particular group, ignore it.
Every research tool has its strengths and its limitations. That’s why some of our strongest work combines multiple methods. No matter which method we use, we are committed to faithfully representing the voices and opinions of the people who share their views with us.
All my best,
Michael Dimock
President, Pew Research Center
What it means to be Asian in America
In the fall of 2021, Pew Research Center undertook the largest focus group study it had ever conducted – 66 focus groups with 264 total participants – to hear Asian Americans talk about their lived experiences in America. The focus groups were organized into 18 distinct Asian ethnic origin groups, fielded in 18 languages and moderated by members of their own ethnic groups.
- Asian Americans share their experiences in the U.S.: Video documentary | Extended interviews
- What it means to be Asian in America: Essay | Sortable quotes | Q&A about this project
The experiences, challenges and hopes of transgender and nonbinary U.S. adults
In order to better understand the experiences of transgender and nonbinary adults at a time when gender identity is at the center of many national debates, Pew Research Center conducted a series of focus groups with trans men, trans women and nonbinary adults on issues ranging from their gender journey, to how they navigate issues of gender in their day-to-day life, to what they see as the most pressing policy issues facing people who are trans or nonbinary.
