Distinguish between qualitative and quantitative data. First, we'll start by defining what qualitative and quantitative data are. Qualitative data is data that can be observed, but not measured. It also deals with descriptions of variables: color, appearance, taste, etc. It is not characterized by any numerical value. Quantitative data is data that can be measured. It's about numbers: length, weight, time, etc. “Although the objectives of some data collections may be exclusively qualitative or quantitative, in many cases both are desirable (O'Rourke & O'Rourke, 2000). » For qualitative observations, researchers watch and record everything that seems interesting to them. The people and animals observed in these research experiments are called participants and subjects. The observation locations are called study sites. Researchers tend to rely on gatekeepers, or informants, in their observations. There are six different types of qualitative observations: participant observations, ethnographic observations, case studies, archaeological data, focus groups, and naturalistic animal studies. “Qualitative research in the field of development faces particular challenges because it is often carried out by researchers who are either not socialized into a discipline such as anthropology or sociology, which has clear guidelines for the work in the field and taking notes, or whose resources are limited to the point of not being able to follow them (Camfield & Palmer-Jones, 2013). »For quantitative direct observations, they exist in numbers and in conditions allowing them to be counted. The number may be an actual value, a test result, or reflect an arbitrary value. These observations are conducted by researchers by counting the frequency of one or more variables and these observations are...... middle of paper ......When this happens it again reduces the validity of the 'observation. Although self-assessment has many advantages and disadvantages, no other method could collect such detailed and in-depth information from participants. References: Camfield, Laura & Palmer-Jones, Richard. Improving the quality of development research: what could archiving qualitative data for re-analysis and revisiting research sites provide? Advances in Development Studies. October 2013, vol. 13 Issue 4, p343-338. Ellis, L., Walsh, A. and Hartley, R.D. (2010). Research methods in criminal justice and criminology: an interdisciplinary approach. Lanham, MD: Rowman & LittlefieldPublishers. O'Rourke, Thomas W. & O'Rourke, Diane P. Bridging the qualitative-quantitative data canyon. American Journal of Health Studies. 2000, Vol.16 Issue 1, p.52-54.