Qualitative analysis

Pavlos Paraskevaidis

Chapter 98 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Energy Economics, 2025, pp 388-389 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Qualitative research is rarely employed in economics since the methodological canon suggests the use of statistics and econometrics. The main distinction between quantitative and qualitative analysis is that the former concerns the use of close-ended data, while the latter focuses on open-ended data collection. Open-ended data collection yields deeper insights into economic phenomena as perceived and experienced by research subjects and provides more detailed information in contrast to close-ended research questions. Despite the dominance of quantitative research methods in energy economics, qualitative analysis is employed either in combination with quantitative analysis (i.e., mixed-methods research) or solely. The contribution of qualitative analysis to energy economics may be twofold: either it informs economic models in the context of mixed-methods research, or it explores the motivations, emotions and experiences of research subjects regarding their economic behavior.

Keywords: Open-Ended Data Collection; Purposive Sampling; Snowball Sampling; Interview; Focus Groups; Observation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035310364
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