This document discusses research and qualitative research. It defines research as the systematic collection and analysis of data to understand phenomena. Qualitative research involves collecting data in the form of words rather than numbers through methods like interviews and observations. The key characteristics of qualitative research are that the researcher plays an important role, data is collected as words and descriptions rather than numbers, and inductive reasoning is used to analyze the data. Some strengths include an ability to examine issues in depth while limitations include difficulty generalizing findings. Common qualitative research approaches are also outlined.