Qualitative research is flexible. Rather than applying a rigidly defined framework, research method and data collection style, qualitative research collects data using observational methodologies, such as focus groups or surveys, or by direct observation. This lets researchers observe and analyze things as they are rather than how they are in relation to a specific framework, which can sometimes give a better picture.
Quantitative data is associated with numbers and figures. Qualitative data, on the other hand, is textual. It is about observing or reading information and responding to it through writing. This means that qualitative analysis opens up new avenues of research. If, for example, you are conducting a study on a particular work of literature, quantitative analysis can provide you with the number of words, the number of adjectives, the size of the book and other firm figures. Qualitative analysis, on the other hand, gives you access to how an author expresses himself, what the effect is and what it means in context.
Qualitative analysis describes the relationship between things and shows what their effect is in context. This is important because nothing occurs in a vacuum; rather, everything is related to something else, and qualitative research allows you to explore the nature and significance of these relationships.
Quantitative research applies accepted theories in order to collect and analyze information. Qualitative research, on the other hand, tries to create new theories. By analyzing current theories and comparing them to one another, a qualitative researcher can create an argument for a new theory, which can then be used in further research. If you want to set new trends rather than define current ones you should use more qualitative research to do so, as generating new theories depends on the subjectivity on which qualitative research relies.