What is qualitative data?

• A. Descriptive information
• B. Information about quantities and numbers
• C. Visual patterns
• D. Color coding

Answer: (A)

Qualitative data are descriptive observations about characteristics rather than numeric measurements. In OCT practice, this means describing what you see on the image—such as tissue texture, patterns of reflectivity, presence or absence of certain layers, irregularities, and qualitative changes like edema or scarring—without assigning numbers. This contrasts with quantitative data, which would be exact measurements like retinal thickness in micrometers or numerical signal values. While noting visual patterns or using color coding can help organize qualitative information, they’re methods of presentation rather than definitions. Descriptive information best captures what qualitative data are.