University Students' Research Orientations: Do negative attitudes exist toward quantitative methods?

Performance and productivity production line system are very influenced by facility layout planning. Facilities composition if appropriate with flow of materials between departments, it will sustain the continuity of the system. PT. X engaged in the field of printing. Composition of the current layout facilities on the Plant has not fully optimized well and indeed has a potential possibility to be developed further in the future. This statement is supported from the result of existing MHPS which gives Rp 6.560.374,50 for total cost of material handling and 136329 metres for total distance. As for the purposes of this research are: evaluating the performance of current facility layout, designing the layout of the facility with qualitative and quantitative methods, comparing the current with proposed improvement layouts, as well as create a picture the new layout facility. The process of designing proposed layouts is done by using qualitative methods (CORELAP, BLOCPLAN & CRAFT) and quantitative methods (ABSMODEL & CRAFT) that both of the algorithms need same inputs, which are: current facility layout and the flow of material. Based from the results of calculation proposed layouts, show that layout from qualitative methods (CORELAP) gives maximal reduction to the total cost of material handling so that the amounts will be decreased to Rp 6.100.133,55 (reducing 7,02% from total cost of current layout), and 117264 metres for total distance (reducing 13,985%.). Kata kunci : facility layout, quantitative methods, qualitative methods

In the humanities, in the last two decades, there has been an evident increase of research combining quantitative and qualitative methods, techniques, approaches, concepts or language. This paper discusses the arguments for and against these research drafts, which most often appear in literature under the title mixed methods research. While some authors consider this type of research as the announcement of the third paradigm in studying social phenomena and the approach that shifts the war between the two paradigms into the past, other authors claim that the paradigms underlying the two basic research orientations are incompatible because they study essentially different phenomena, and therefore the methods from two research traditions cannot be combined in any way. The third viewpoint, which we advocate as well, argues that qualitative and quantitative methods cannot be applied together in one draft for the purposes of triangulation or cross-validation, but that they can be combined for complementary objectives. This paper describes the example of mixed methods draft of complementary objectives in pedagogy, which refers to evaluation of mathematics curriculum. The example shows that combining qualitative and quantitative methods is not only possible, but that it creates the conditions for arriving at data which would not be possible to obtain using only one or the other approach.

A useful framework for understanding methods is to think of them as being on a continuum of holistic and pattern focused to particularistic and specific. This paper argues for this conceptualization rather than thinking of quantitative and qualitative methods as oppositional and potentially contradictory. A case study provides an example of using both quantitative and qualitative methods in a holistic and pattern-focused study, while also attending to the values and goals of community psychology. The substantive research goal is to understand a child's experience of places related to school. Methods include ethnographic long-term participation and observation, interviews, multidimensional scaling, and social network analysis. Most quantitative method variables are generated from study participants; no outside structure is imposed. The quantitative methods extend and inform the qualitative methods, just as the qualitative methods extend and inform the quantitative methods. The quantitative and qualitative methods work reciprocally to extend and inform each other.

Phosphate solubilising bacteria possess the ability to solubilise insoluble phosphate to soluble forms enhancing the nutrient status of the soil. This process not only compensates increasing cost of phosphatic fertilisers but also minimises the negative environmental impacts associated with the application of inorganic fertilisers. Phosphate solubilising bacteria (PSB) were screened based on the size of a halo/ clear zone around the colony (NBRIP agar plate assay) and by measuring solubilise phosphorous content (colorimetric method). The aim of this work was to assess the comparative reliability of quantitative and qualitative methods of isolation of phosphate solubilising bacteria. Bacterial strains which showed very poor performance in qualitative method were proven to be good phosphates solubilisers in quantitative method and vice versa. Therefore no positive relationship among the values obtained from qualitative and quantitative methods could be observed. Furthermore qualitative method did not reflect the real ability of the phosphate solubilising bacteria to solubilise insoluble phosphates. From the results of the present study, it can be concluded that isolation of efficient phosphate solubilising bacteria through quantitative method could give better results than that of qualitative method.

The Web is present in all fields of our life, from information and service Web pages to electronic public administration (e-government). Users of the Web are a heterogeneous and multicultural public, with different abilities and disabilities (visual, hearing, cognitive, and motor impairments). Web accessibility is about making websites accessible to all Internet users (both disabled and non-disabled). To assure and certify the fulfillment of Web accessibility guidelines, various accessibility evaluation methods have been proposed, and are classified in two types: qualitative methods (analytical and empirical) and quantitative methods (metric-based methods). As no method by itself is enough to guarantee full accessibility, many studies combine these qualitative and quantitative methods in order to guarantee better results. Some recent studies have presented combined evaluation methods between qualitative methods only, thus leaving behind the great power of metrics that guarantee objective results. In this chapter, a combined accessibility evaluation method based both on qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods is proposed. This proposal presents an evaluation method combining essential analytical evaluation methods and empirical test methods.

Qualitative Versus Quantitative The literature on methodology distinguishes between qualitative and quantitative research methods. The term ‘qualitative’ does not refer to the quality of methods. Qualitative methods are those that are oriented towards the discovery of qualities of things – that is, the properties of objects, phenomena, situations, people, meanings and events. In contrast, quantitative methods are oriented towards the number or amount of these qualities. This chapter discusses a number of qualitative research methods that can be used in FPS projects. For quantitative research methods, we refer the reader to textbooks on social science methodology, such as those by Cooper and Schindler (2014) and Hair et al. (2005). Imagine marketing managers who would like to know the opinions of potential customers about a television commercial. They could ask some respondents to talk freely about their feelings with regard to the commercial, their associations, what they like about it and what they do not, and so on. Such a study would be qualitative in nature, since it aims to uncover the characteristics of people, in this case their attitude towards the commercial. The same marketing manager could also use a standardized questionnaire and ask respondents to express the degree to which they understand and like the commercial on a fivepoint scale. Such a study would be quantitative in nature, since it measures the value of a particular property in numbers. Qualitative research methods are particularly appropriate for studying people, groups, organizations and societies – for example, if you want to learn how people interpret their own situation, what their goals in life and work are and what strategies they employ to reach those goals. Such understanding is needed in most business problem-solving projects. Because there can be large and multifaceted differences between people and situations, it is often not effective to employ (only) a standardized measuring instrument. Qualitative research methods are relevant within more fields than just the social sciences. The natural and technical sciences use qualitative methods as well. Hendrik Casimir, a respected physicist and long-time director of Philips Laboratories, has stated: For although it is certainly true that quantitative measurements are of great importance, it is a grave error to suppose that the whole of experimental physics can be brought under this heading.

This chapter aims to present and discuss potentials of research designs which combine quantitative and qualitative methods in the sociology of religion. Qualitative and quantitative methods refer to two characteristic modes of producing knowledge. Quantitative studies are generally characterized by seeing social characteristics as variables, which are subject to standardized measurement and attributed with numeric values. Qualitative methods differ in scientific views, aims, and practical procedures. They often focus on hermeneutic interpretations of complex, contextualized cultural phenomena. One of the major arguments against combining quantitative and qualitative methods is that they are based on contradictory epistemological premises. The methodological dualism of quantitative and qualitative designs seems to follow Dilthey's well-known dualism between natural science and the humanities, which seeks either general explanatory laws or a meaningful comprehension of a specific event. Ontology and epistemology are influenced by scientific findings and methodological developments. Keywords:epistemology; ontology; qualitative methods; quantitative methods; religion; sociology

Comparison study on qualitative and quantitative risk assessment methods for urban natural gas pipeline network

This study describes difficulties experienced in learning quantitative methods by university students. Education and sociology students were asked to rate different topics on the basis of their difficulty. It was found that statistics and quantitative methods were experienced as more difficult than other domains, such as qualitative methods and the students' main subject. Overall, it seems that students tend to polarise the academic subjects into 'easier' language, major and qualitative subjects, and 'harder' mathematical, statistical and quantitative subjects. The students were also asked to answer open-ended questions concerning the most difficult aspects of methodology courses and the reasons for their difficulties. Five main categories of reasons for difficulties were established: (1) superficial teaching, (2) linking theory with practice, (3) unfamiliarity with and difficulty of concepts and content, (4) creating an integrated picture of research in order to really understand it, and (5) negative attitudes toward these studies. The students who gave high ratings for the difficulty of statistical and quantitative subjects cited teaching most frequently as the reason. Those students who did not have many problems in statistical and quantitative subjects, but who still had more trouble with them in comparison to their major subject studies, mentioned negative attitudes as the main reason for difficulties.

The perennial controversy over quantitative and qualitative methods is addressed from an empirical point of view rather than as a purely methodological or epistemological question. Consideration of empirical findings leads to rejection of the prevailing views that social science is either nomothetic or idiographic and that a significant methodological distinction can be drawn between quantitative and qualitative methods in social research. As a consequence, quantitative and qualitative methods are seen as inherently complementary, and the question of objectivity in social science is viewed, not as a matter of following "correct" procedure, but rather as an issue dealt with as a practical matter by researchers in terms of internal and external coherence.

Purpose: This research aims to evaluate the level of effectiveness of policy implementation regarding 6 smart city programs and how much influence they have on improving public services in Klaten district, Central Java, Indonesia. Theoretical Framework: Drawing on the practice-based view theory, this study focuses on several constructs and their interconnections namely Sakura (In-Network Population Administration Service System related to the smart governance dimension, Titip Bandaku Program related to the smart society dimension, Matur Doctor from the smart living dimension, River School from the smart environment dimension, The Podcast Program Talks Klaten Shines RSPD and Rolasan as a dimension of Smart Branding, and Klaten is fertile as a smart economy. Method: The research was carried out according to mixed quantitative research methods with qualitative research (Mixed quantitative and qualitative research methods). This research on evaluating the impact of E-Government on Public Services is a type of evaluation research using quantitative-qualitative methods (mixed methods). The research design used is a sequential explanatory design or a combination model research. Combination research with sequential explanatory design is research that combines quantitative and qualitative research methods sequentially, where in the first stage the research is carried out using quantitative methods and in the second stage it is carried out with qualitative methods (Cresswell, 2009: 209). Results and Discussion: To examine the influence of intervening variables, path analysis methods are used. Path analysis is an extension of regression analysis. Path analysis uses regression analysis to estimate the causal relationship between variables (causal model) that has been determined previously based on the theory. Path analysis alone cannot determine causal relationships and also cannot be used as a substitute for researchers to see causal relationships between variables. The average value of E-Government with a strongly agree answer of .398.4 is classified as a good variable. Respondents agreed that the average score was 5.55 in the good group. E-Government variables were grouped as variables that had good criteria. The average value of the Smart City Masterplan variable according to the answers of the respondents strongly agreed was 100.2 which was categorized as good. The average value according to the response answers agrees that the value is 1.8 which is categorized as good and. The Smart City Masterplan variable is in a good position. Research Implications: Based on the results of the research and discussion in Chapter IV, it can be implication as follows: 1. There is a close relationship with the empirical description of the variables E-Government, Smart City Master Plan, Smart City Program and Public Services. 2. There is a significant influence of E-Government on the Smart City Program in Klaten Regency. 3. There is a significant influence of the Smart City Masterplan on the Smart City Program in Klaten Regency. 4. There is an indirect influence of E-Government on the Smart City Program in Klaten Regency. 5. There is an indirect influence of the Smart City Masterplan on the Smart City Program in Klaten Regency. The implication of the results of qualitative research in this study are as follows: 1. The average value of E-Government (X1) with a strongly agree answer of .398.4 is classified as a good variable. Respondents agreed that the average score was 5.55 in the good group. E-Government variables were grouped as variables that had good criteria. 2. The average value of the Smart City Masterplan variable according to the answers of the respondents strongly agreed was 100.2 which was categorized as good. The average value according to the response answers agrees that the value is 1.8 which is categorized as good and. The Smart City Masterplan variable is in a good position. 3. The average value of the Smart City Program according to the respondents' answers strongly agree with a value of .100.2 is classified as a good variable. 4. The average value of public services according to the answers of respondents who strongly agree is 102.8, which is classified as a good variable. The average value according to the respondent's answer agrees with a value of 1.2 which is categorized as quite good Public Service Variables are grouped as variables that have good criteria 5. There have been changes in the implementation of E-Government, the Smart City Masterplan, the Smart City Program and Public Services, in Klaten Regency as a result of the implementation of e-government in Klaten Regency 6. There are desired and unwanted impacts, both positive and negative, from the implementation of e-government in Klaten District. Originality/Value: It also enlarges the body literature on smart city through producing empirical evidences concerning the influences of policies and six smart city program on publiuc services in developing country. Strikingly, the originality of this investigation lied in studying the mediating effect of policies on the interlinks between policies and smart city program as well as masterplan smar city and public services.

The impact of microalbuminuria measured by qualitative or quantitative methods on risk evaluation in hypertensive patients: Results from ICEBERG study

Purpose: This research aims to describe the implementation of e-government with explains the quality of information on the West Bandung Regency Government website. The quality of information on e-government websites has an important role because it will have a broad impact on society. Information submitted by official government channels will be considered valid by the public, so that if the information submitted is incorrect it will result in reduced public trust in the government. Theoretical Framework: Drawing on the practice-based view theory, this study focuses on several constructs and their the implementation of e-government in West Bandung Regency can be categorized in the presence (informative) stage towards the interactive stage. this stage indicates that the West Bandung website is still limited to providing static information, and has not provided space for the public to interact online with government elements. Method: The research was carried out according to mixed quantitative research methods with qualitative research (Mixed quantitative and qualitative research methods). This research on evaluating the impact of E-Government on Good Governance is a type of evaluation research using quantitative-qualitative methods (mixed methods). The research design used is a sequential explanatory design or a combination model research. Combination research with sequential explanatory design is research that combines quantitative and qualitative research methods sequentially, where in the first stage the research is carried out using quantitative methods and in the second stage it is carried out with qualitative methods (Cresswell, 2009: 209). Results and Discussion: To examine the influence of intervening variables, path analysis methods are used. Path analysis is an extension of regression analysis. Path analysis uses regression analysis to estimate the causal relationship between variables (causal model) that has been determined previously based on the theory. Path analysis alone cannot determine causal relationships and also cannot be used as a substitute for researchers to see causal relationships between variables. The results of this study conclude that in general the quality of information on the West Bandung Regency Government website is quite good. Weaknesses that can reduce the value of the quality of information exist in the dimensions of the completeness of the information, namely the existence of several links that lead to blank pages. The recommendation given from the results of this study is to increase improvement efforts so that all menus and links contained on the website can be completed with relevant information, so that users can obtain complete and accurate information This condition is indeed not much different from most local government websites which generally still function as informative or public relations media, and are not yet interactive media (Sosiawan, 2015). Although all websites except the Public Relations section already have links that function to contact relevant agencies via contact menu, but this feature is considered not optimal to accommodate interactive communication. Research Implications: Satisfaction of the user community with basic public services in the social sector in Bandung Regency West Government as measured by the verbal response of respondents to respondents' satisfaction in receiving basic public services in the social sector which includes body kits, transport of bodies (free ambulances), and funerals are dominated by respondents who express satisfaction with high rating, followed by respondents who stated that they were very satisfied with a very high rating, then followed by respondents who stated that they were dissatisfied with a low rating. Originality/Value: It also enlarges the body literature on smart city through producing empirical evidences concerning the influences of policies and six smart city program on good governance in developing country. Strikingly, the originality of this investigation lied in studying the mediating effect of policies on the interlinks between policies and family hope program as well as good governance

I found PhD study to be a stimulating, challenging and ideal conduit for exploring knowledge via discussion, argument and defence: to have the opportunity to explore method, methodology, epistemology, ontology and what may constitute 'acceptable' research practice is an enriching experience. I had previously heard of intepretivists decrying positivists et cetera, but I was unprepared to find quantitative researchers and lecturers openly dismissing qualitative approaches, and finding dismissals by qualitative researchers of the use of a quantitative approach: such are disappointing and confusing to a trainee researcher. Thus, a far less enriching experience for a trainee researcher is being faced with assumptions and preferences of experienced researchers that extend from defending approach to decrying any approaches that may not be aligned to their own. As a result, this paper will focus upon the quantitative-qualitative debate (QQD) and offer a critical evaluation upon the issues surrounding affiliations between method and epistemological paradigm. It will also question the validity of 'traditional' divides between qualitative and quantitative methods. This discussion will facilitate an answer to the question: 'can the researcher complement quantitative with qualitative method - and vice versa - within the same research paradigm and subsequent design'? I will explore here a claim that no more than a rhetorical link exists between method and epistemology and that the 'distinctions' between quantitative and qualitative methods are often erroneous and do not always reflect differing paradigmatic assumptions. Further, I will suggest quantitative and qualitative methods be used in a complementary fashion as opposed to an integrated approach. I will further claim that the quantitative-qualitative debate has much to offer trainee researchers and should thus be kept open, as long as unprejudiced and tolerant discussion is encouraged.

BackgroundQuantitative studies are becoming more recognized as important to understanding health care with all of its richness and complexities. The purpose of this descriptive survey was to provide a quantitative evaluation of the qualitative studies published in 170 core clinical journals for 2000.MethodsAll identified studies that used qualitative methods were reviewed to ascertain which clinical journals publish qualitative studies and to extract research methods, content (persons and health care issues studied), and whether mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative methods) were used.Results60 330 articles were reviewed. 355 reports of original qualitative studies and 12 systematic review articles were identified in 48 journals. Most of the journals were in the discipline of nursing. Only 4 of the most highly cited health care journals, based on ISI Science Citation Index (SCI) Impact Factors, published qualitative studies. 37 of the 355 original reports used both qualitative and quantitative (mixed) methods. Patients and non-health care settings were the most common groups of people studied. Diseases and conditions were cancer, mental health, pregnancy and childbirth, and cerebrovascular disease with many other diseases and conditions represented. Phenomenology and grounded theory were commonly used; substantial ethnography was also present. No substantial differences were noted for content or methods when articles published in all disciplines were compared with articles published in nursing titles or when studies with mixed methods were compared with studies that included only qualitative methods.ConclusionsThe clinical literature includes many qualitative studies although they are often published in nursing journals or journals with low SCI Impact Factor journals. Many qualitative studies incorporate both qualitative and quantitative methods.