I have always been far more drawn to qualitative research than quantitative. Primarily, this is because all of my undergrad degrees are in disciplines which focus on qualitative methods: religion, women’s studies, and English. But more than that, I am interested in the lived experiences of the people I want to study. I realize that quantitative methods can provide excellent information and can even enhance qualitative work. However, especially with my current research interests, life stories, personal responses, and other qualitative information will be much more helpful. Though plenty of quantitative research provides solutions to real world problems, I feel that qualitative offers more opportunity for practical application in such areas as social justice. Measuring various budgetary breakdowns, educational statistics, and other numerical data is important for governmental programs and other reasons, but they will tell you absolutely nothing about the individuals you are studying and what their day-to-day experiences actually are–how they see the world, their hopes and fears, and the often minute ways things can be done to improve their every day lives.