Combining the Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches to Poverty Measurement and Analysis. The Practice and the Potential.

The quantitative and qualitative approaches to poverty measurement and analysis have often been treated by practitioners as two distinct--even opposing--approaches. This paper highlights the key characteristics of the two approaches, examines the strengths and weaknesses of each, and analyzes the potential for combining the two approaches in analytical work on poverty. The main conclusion of this paper is that sole reliance on either the quantitative or the qualitative approach is often likely to be less desirable than combining the two.