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Insights on Methodology: Pepinsky's Guide in Linking Qualitative and Quantitative Methods for Social Sciences

June 14, 2024

Contributor: Nadya Nabillah Istiqomah Jayadi | Editor: Dadi Darmadi


UIII, DEPOK – On June 14, 2024, the Faculty of Social Sciences (FOSS) at the International Islamic University of Indonesia (UIII) successfully held a public lecture as part of the opening event for the 3rd Summer Training program.

The public lecture featured guest speaker Thomas B. Pepinsky, a Walter F. LaFeber Professor from the Department of Government and the Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell University.

Pepinsky is a distinguished American scholar in the field of comparative politics and international political economy. He delivers an insightful presentation on "Linking Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies in the Social Sciences."

In the beginning, Pepinsky clarifies the definition of qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative method refers to approaches to learning about social sciences that are structured in narrative, historical, or interpretive evidences.

Pepinsky also conveyed an important point: rather than trying to master everything at once, it is better for social scientists to focus on becoming an expert in one area, whether it is qualitative methods or quantitative methods.

Overall, this public lecture provides valuable insights for UIII students and researchers in general on the methodological foundations for conducting research in the field of social sciences.

As explained by Pepinsky, the application of quantitative and/or qualitative methods has its own pros and cons, which should be aligned with our research objectives and our capacity as researchers.

Therefore, to further learn the elements of research methodology, FOSS has provided a platform for researchers through the Summer Training program, scheduled over the next two months.

The Summer Training is expected to improve skills development in scientific research and support the faculty's goal to become a leading center for methodological training in social science research.