Which statement is true regarding qualitative research methods?

Qualitative research methods are distinguished by their emphasis on understanding the deeper meanings and contexts of social behavior. This approach is rooted in the belief that behaviors, experiences, and social phenomena are complex and cannot be effectively captured through numerical data alone. Instead, qualitative methods utilize interviews, focus groups, and observational studies to gather rich, detailed insights from participants. This allows researchers to explore how individuals interpret their experiences and the meanings they ascribe to them, providing a nuanced understanding of social dynamics.

The other options reflect misconceptions about qualitative research. For instance, the statement regarding providing a broad overview of social phenomena aligns more closely with quantitative methods, which aim to generalize findings across larger populations through statistical analysis. The focus on numerical data and statistics pertains specifically to quantitative research, which seeks to measure variables rather than understand personal experiences. Lastly, qualitative methods are often more time-consuming due to the in-depth nature of data collection and analysis, contradicting the notion that they are less time-consuming than quantitative methods. Therefore, option C accurately captures the essence of qualitative research methods.