Which statement best describes qualitative data analysis in fieldwork?

• A. It involves counting and calculating statistics
• B. It uses photographs for measurement
• C. It focuses on numerical data like rainfall totals
• D. It involves interpreting non-numerical data to identify themes

Answer: (D)

Qualitative data analysis in fieldwork centers on making sense of non-numerical information to uncover patterns and meanings. Researchers study things like interview transcripts, field notes, descriptions of places and people, and they look for themes, relationships, and insights by coding the data and comparing across sources. This approach aims to derive understanding rather than count things or measure quantities. So interpreting non-numerical data to identify themes is the best fit. The other statements focus on numbers or measurements, which belong to quantitative analysis; for example, counting statistics or rainfall totals. Photographs can contribute to qualitative study as data, but using them for measurement suggests a quantitative approach rather than the qualitative process of identifying themes.