Which is a qualitative data example?

• A. DMFT scores
• B. Interview responses
• C. Decay rate
• D. Number of follow-ups

Answer: (B)

Qualitative data are descriptive, non-numerical insights captured in words. Interview responses fit this perfectly because they provide participants’ thoughts, feelings, and experiences in their own phrases, which researchers analyze for themes and meanings. This kind of data helps explain why people think or behave a certain way, offering context that numbers alone can’t provide.

By contrast, DMFT scores are numeric indices that quantify dental caries experience, decay rate is a rate or proportion that can be counted over time, and the number of follow-ups is a simple tally. These are all quantitative data, focusing on amounts and frequencies rather than subjective descriptions.