Introduction The aim of this paper is to analyze and to compare quantitative and qualitative research methods. The analysis will begin with the definition and description of the two methods. This will be followed by a discussion on the various aspects of the two research methods. The similarities and differences between quantitative and qualitative research methods can be seen in their characteristics, data collection methods, data analysis methods, and the validity issues associated with them, as well as, their strengths and weaknesses. Definition and Description Qualitative research method is a technique of “studying phenomena by collecting and analyzing data in non-numeric form”. It focuses on exploring the topic of the study by finding as much detail as possible. The characteristics of qualitative research include the following. First, it focuses on studying the behavior of individuals in their natural settings. Thus, it does not use artificial experiments. This helps researchers to avoid interfering with the participants’ normal way of life. Second, qualitative research focuses on meanings, perspectives, and understandings. It aims at finding out the meanings that the subjects of the study “attach to their behavior, how they interpret situations, and what their perspectives are on particular issues”. Concisely, it is concerned with the processes that explain why and how things happen. Quantitative research is “explaining phenomena by collecting numerical data that are analyzed using mathematical techniques such as statistics”. It normally uses experiments to answer research questions. Control is an important aspect of the experiments because it enables the researcher to find unambiguous answers to research questions. Quantitative research also uses operational definitions. Concisely, the terms used in a quantitative study must be defined according to the operations employed to measure them in order to avoid confusion in meaning or communication. Moreover, the results of quantitative research are considered to be reliable only if they are replicable. This means that the same results must be produced if the research is repeated using the same techniques. Hypothesis testing is also an integral part of quantitative research. Concisely, hypotheses enable the researcher to concentrate on a specific aspect of a problem, and to identify the methods for solving it. The similarities and differences between quantitative and qualitative research methods can be seen in their characteristics Quantitative and qualitative studies are similar in the following ways. To begin with, qualitative research is normally used to generate theory. Similarly, quantitative studies can be used to explore new areas, thereby creating a new theory. Even though qualitative research focuses on generating theory, it can also be used to test hypotheses and existing theories. In this regard, it is similar to quantitative studies that mainly focus on testing theories and hypotheses. Both qualitative and quantitative studies use numeric and non-numeric data. For instance, the use of statements such as less than normally involves the use of quantitative data in qualitative studies. Similarly, quantit