COMMENTARY SOFT DATA—HARD DATA: THE PAINFUL ART OF FENCE‐SITTING

Abstract

Quantitative methodology and qualitative methodology are not mutually exclusive. Yet much of consumer research is undertaken from the point of view that an object or state should either be counted, weighed, and measured or be described in terms of human feelings and intuitions. By development of a long‐run orientation and a pluralistic approach to research designs, soft data and hard data can be combined in complementary ways. This commentary suggests a practical combination of research methods and uses a recent case example to illustrate.