Qualitative Research and Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is inherently based on mathematical models and driven by numerical data.

It can be assumed that this conflicts in some way with the nature of qualitative research. After all, qualitative research is concerned with a set of methodologies designed to explore; to delve deeper into aspects linked to the complexity inherent to human behavior in the face of its immersion in culture.

To achieve this, qualitative research questions tend to be contextual, broad, and not static. Moderation is often described as intuitive, and data outputs – text, audio, visual and audio-visual – are considered to be discursive and not quantifiable.

However, today, AI products have advanced beyond mere numbers. Now they are equipped to deal with textual content, or at least assist in the process.

requalify.ai is a project that believes that qualitative research has a privileged place to investigate aspects linked to the human condition. We think that recent advances in AI could help this potential flourish. In particular, we think that repetitive steps that are not central to the process can be performed by AI. This time savings could mean that brilliant minds have even more space to advance in the challenge of knowledge that the human sciences encompass.

We will talk about this here on this blog and we say that we are just at the beginning.

By Leonardo Martins