What is the term for the process of converting qualitative information into numerical form?

The process of converting qualitative information into numerical form is referred to as coding. This entails taking non-numeric data, such as categories, descriptions, or attributes, and assigning numerical values or codes to represent this information in a systematic way. Coding is frequently utilized in research and data analysis to facilitate quantitative analysis of qualitative data, enabling the data to be processed statistically.

While normalization refers to adjusting values in datasets to a common scale, transformation typically means altering the format or structure of data without specifically turning qualitative into numerical data. Statistical analysis involves applying statistical methods to data, but it assumes that the data is already in a suitable numerical format for such tests. Therefore, coding is distinctly recognized as the specific method for converting qualitative information into a numerical format, making it the correct term in this context.