Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Prof Stimpfl's Presentation Highlight

Qualitative Research Worshop, held on August 13th, presented by the Visiting Professor, Prof Joseph Stimpfl, at FSSK, UKM. My reflections:
1. The 'dichotomy' of quantitative-qualitative paradigms underpinned by assumptions subscribed by post-modernism and neo-positivism school of thoughts. Post-modernism's multiple reality vs neo-positivism's 'the truth is out there', to borrow from X-Files popular tagline.
2. The bias in research, inevitable or control it? Funded research, is bias totally eliminated, findings are to serve sponsor's interest.
3. Neo-positivist is a populist approach, whether you like it or not. Feminists and Critical theorists are using it, even though their beliefs are embedded in quali paradigm.
4. Measurement is not number or statistical tools! Is a standardized way of communication reality. I like this one.
5. Abstract concepts such as 'beauty' cannot be measured, though we have a good instrument. We can only measure the proxies of beauty, as preset by our operational definition.

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