Which of the following best defines qualitative data analysis?

Qualitative data analysis is best defined as analyzing non-numerical information. This type of analysis focuses on understanding the qualities, attributes, and characteristics of data, rather than quantifying them as would be done with numerical data. Qualitative data can include text from interviews, open-ended survey responses, social media content, and other forms of unstructured information.

In qualitative analysis, researchers seek to interpret and derive meanings from the data to gain insights into people's thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This may involve identifying themes, patterns, and narratives within the data, giving a more in-depth understanding of the subject being studied. This approach is particularly valuable in social sciences and humanities where the complexities of human behavior and social phenomena often cannot be captured with numerical data alone.

The other options revolve around aspects of data that do not align with the definition of qualitative analysis. They may involve quantitative methods or data gathering techniques that focus on numbers and measurable quantities.