The qualitative is what refers to the quality or quality of an entity.
Qualitative analysis is one that refers to the quality, value or weighting aspects of an object, individual, entity or state. In contrast, there is quantitative analysis, which is used to determine the amount of an ingredient, element or variable in a given entity.
Quality is considered an existing property in anything that can be analyzed as such, specifically, compared with another similar, related or of the same species. However, it is a concept with multiple meanings, which in many cases depend on a social, cultural or subjective perception of the entity.
In chemistry, for example, qualitative analysis seeks to discover and break down the components or ingredients in a substance or matter.
In social disciplines, for example, such as communication or sociology, qualitative analysis aims to determine causes and consequences, impact and effect, variables present and their influence on a given result, offers conclusions and even personal opinions about an event, institution or situation .
If we talk about business or consumption, for example, quality is the perception or impression that a customer has of a product or service and, therefore, is subject to individual or collective expectations and perspectives. The phrase "the customer is always right" refers to the idea that the feeling of a consumer about a given product is essential to promote its dissemination and success and, therefore, it is key that the service is well perceived by the individual. Of course, quality depends not only on aspects inherent to the purchased object, but is also associated with brand equity, advertising, marketing and other variables.
The qualitative, then, depends on who looks at it and, unlike the quantitative, it is much more difficult to specify with specificity in different settings and according to different individual perspectives.
