What type of data do open-ended questions in questionnaires primarily elicit?

Open-ended questions in questionnaires are designed to allow respondents to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in their own words. This format encourages detailed and personal responses that capture a wide range of perspectives and insights. As a result, the data collected from open-ended questions is primarily qualitative in nature.

Qualitative data focuses on the qualities or characteristics of responses rather than quantifying them with numerical values. This type of data is rich and can provide depth to understanding the context, meanings, and nuances of the respondents' experiences or opinions. In contrast, quantitative data, statistical data, and numeric data are typically derived from structured questions with fixed responses that can be easily categorized and analyzed mathematically, making them unsuitable for the open-ended approach.