Quantitative methods and gender inequalities

This paper argues that concerns that the feminist agenda is better served by qualitative not quantitative methodology were based on a rather narrow definition of feminism and a somewhat misleading portrayal of quantitative research. Using exemplar studies undertaken as part of the ESRC Research Priority Network on Gender Inequalities in Production and Reproduction (GeNet), I show how quantitative analysis can forward our understanding of the processes that underlie gender inequalities. Quantitative approaches are essential to examine the processes of selection and exclusion that reflect and create gender inequalities as manifest in changing lives and structures. Quantitative analysis of longitudinal data is used for investigating dynamic processes and different patterns of gendered resource allocation in productive and reproductive activities; whereas in-depth qualitative analysis is used to unpick the different national policy contexts for work-family balance. This can help inform how quantitative researchers (some of whom are feminists) interpret what they coun

Quantitative methods and studies of psychic disorders and job satisfaction of teachers of the prison system in the Amazon, Brazil

Objective: To analyze the level of mental suffering and the level of job satisfaction in 85% of the teachers of the state education network who work in the prison units in the city of Porto Velho, Rondonia, Amazonia, Brazil. Method: This is a cross-sectional study; and for the data collection, three structured instruments were used: the sociodemographic questionnaire; the Self-Report-Questionnaire Questionnaire (SRQ-20), and the OSI-Occupational Stress Indicator Scale, Measured by Likert Scale. Results: The results showed that 12.5% of the teachers presented minor psychic disorders, considered as indicators of evidence of mental distress. Satisfaction in the work had indexes similar to those found in the literature, presenting the highest proportion in the intermediate variables, that is, their highest frequencies are in the range of some dissatisfaction, with 32.28%; and 32.04% with some satisfaction. The highest index of dissatisfaction is in the variable that refers to salary, with 29.4%. Conclusions: From the results, it is possible to indicate a possible association between job satisfaction and mental suffering. This study will provide great reflections on the teaching practice in prison units and will contribute to the occupational health of teachers working in prison units, allowing a rethinking of public policies in education and health in the context of the prison system

Quantitative comparison of filtering methods in lattice QCD

We systematically compare filtering methods used to extract topological excitations (like instantons, calorons, monopoles and vortices) from lattice gauge configurations, namely APE-smearing and spectral decompositions based on lattice Dirac and Laplace operators. Each of these techniques introduces ambiguities, which can invalidate the interpretation of the results. We show, however, that all these methods, when handled with care, reveal very similar topological structures. Hence, these common structures are free of ambiguities and faithfully represent infrared degrees of freedom in the QCD vacuum. As an application we discuss an interesting power-law for the clusters of filtered topological charge.Comment: 6 pages, 18 plots in 5 figures; final version as published in EPJ A; section 4 was adde

A researcher's dilemma- philosphical and methodological pluralism

In many research textbooks the distinction between qualitative and quantitative research is inadvertently linked with philosophical perspectives. This in essence creates a mutually exclusive relationship between method and philosophy. Initially researchers are led to believe, from these textbooks, that research is neatly divided into mutually exclusive categories, these being quantitative and qualitative research and ‘never the twain shall meet’. This divide is further strengthened with the inference that the relationship extends further; associating deduction with quantitative methods and similarly induction with qualitative methods. What happens in most texts is that qualitative research methods and quantitative research methods are set against each other as polar opposites (Crotty 1998, p19). This paper argues that methodological pluralism is acceptable but what is not acceptable is philosophical pluralism. By naively linking methods and approaches to specific philosophy researchers and students may miss out on potentially innovative or creative data collection methods. Alternatively and more importantly by feeling tied or constrained by their philosophical stance to particular methods and approaches, associated with them by textbooks, they may in fact reduce the credibility, validity, and or significance of the research. There maybe an elective affinity between certain philosophies and methods but this should not necessarily constrain the methods chosen

Beam-modulation methods in quantitative and flow visualization holographic interferometry

This report discusses heterodyne holographic interferometry and time-average holography with a frequency shifted reference beam. Both methods will be used for the measurement and visualization of internal transonic flows, where the target facility is a flutter cascade. The background and experimental requirements for both methods are reviewed. Measurements using heterodyne holographic interferometry are presented. The performance of the laser required for time-average holography of time-varying transonic flows is discussed

Advocating mixed-methods approaches in health research

This methods paper provides researchers in Nepal with a broad overview of the practical and philosophical aspects of mixed-methods research. The three authors have a wide-ranging expertise in planning and conducting mixed-methods studies. The paper outlines the different paradigms or philosophies underlying quantitative and qualitative methods and some of the on-going debates about mixed-methods. The paper further highlights a number of practical issues, such as (a) the particular mix and order of quantitative and qualitative methods; (b) the way of integrating methods from different philosophical stance; and (c) how to synthesise mixed-methods findings