_____ are the basic building blocks of qualitative data.

_____ are the basic building blocks of qualitative data. Options: (a) Categories (b) Units (c) Individuals (d) None ✅ Correct Option: (b) Units Explanation (200+ words): In qualitative research, units are considered the basic building blocks of qualitative data. A unit refers to the smallest meaningful piece of information that can stand alone for analysis. These units may consist of words, phrases, sentences, incidents, or even complete paragraphs extracted from interviews, observations, documents, or field notes. Qualitative research deals with rich, descriptive, and non-numerical data. To make sense of this large amount of information, researchers break data into manageable units before further analysis. Once data are divided into units, they can be coded, categorized, and interpreted. Without identifying units, qualitative analysis becomes vague and disorganized. Categories are developed later by grouping similar units, while individuals are sources of data rather than analytical components. Therefore, units serve as the foundation upon which coding, categorization, and theme development are built. In educational research, for example, a teacher’s single statement during an interview may represent a unit of meaning related to motivation or classroom management. Hence, identifying units is a critical first step in qualitative data analysis. 10 PPSC-Related Facts: 1. Units are meaningful segments of data 2. Units may be words, phrases, or sentences 3. Units help organize qualitative data 4. Coding is based on units 5. Categories emerge from grouped units 6. Units reduce complexity of data 7. Units aid interpretation 8. Units ensure systematic analysis 9. Qualitative data is non-numerical 10. Units improve research validity