Quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics, while qualitative research deals with words and meanings; both methods are important for gaining knowledge in research and require the collection of data. Quantitative methods allow you to test a hypothesis by collecting and analyzing data such as that used in graphs, and are used to confirm theories, while qualitative methods allow you to explore ideas and experiences in depth on topics that are not well understood (Gray, Grove, & Sutherland, 2017).