A framework for modeling macro-economic systems based on integrating qualitative and quantitative information

Information fusion in data association applications

To reduce adverse customer selection, service firms are empowering employees to use decision latitude to decide whether to provide a service to a potential customer. Customer selection often requires complex decision making that involves both quantitative and qualitative customer information. The authors introduce service employees’ desire for decision latitude (DDL) as an individual difference construct that influences the processing of quantitative and qualitative information in customer selection decisions. Across several studies, the authors find that individual differences in DDL moderate how service personnel synthesize quantitative and qualitative information in customer selection decisions. Service employees who have relatively higher levels of DDL integrate quantitative and qualitative information such that the cues combine interactively. Thus, they may act as though they are going against organizational norms by allowing qualitative information to override organizational decision-making norms. Conversely, low DDL individuals appear to combine both quantitative and qualitative information in a linear pattern to influence customer selection. These results suggest that managers should employ DDL to match employees with customers so that an optimal fit occurs. Managers should examine procedures for how information should be used and provide employees with clearly defined guidelines for how to employ quantitative and qualitative information when making customer selection decisions.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate a hybrid system as a decision support model to assist with the auditor's going‐concern assessment. The going‐concern assessment is often an unstructured decision that involves the use of both qualitative and quantitative information. An expert system that predicts the going‐concern decision has been developed in consultation with partners at three of the Big Five accounting firms. This system is combined with a statistical model that predicts bankruptcy, as a component of the auditor's decision, to form a hybrid system. The hybrid system, because it combines the use of quantitative and qualitative information, has the potential for better prediction accuracy than either the expert system or statistical model predicting separately. In addition, testing of the system provides some insight into the characteristics of firms that experience problems, but do not necessarily receive a going‐concern modification. Further investigation into those firms that have problems could reveal factors that may be incorporated into decision support systems for auditors, in order to improve accuracy and reliability of these decision tools. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

British accounting association: Annual report 1991

Identifying Monotonic and Non-Monotonic Relationships

在基于可持续能源的产品设计过程中，产品低碳设计对象具有大量的定性和定量相结合的复杂知识，而如何利用上述不完备信息实现基于可持续能源的产品低碳设计的方案评价问题，是当前面临的一个挑战。本文通过建立基于可持续能源的低碳产品设计评价决策体系框架，实现了面向设计目录的基于可持续能源的产品多目标加权模糊层次分析法的综合评价。该模型采用多目标加权模糊层次分析法将低碳产品设计阶段的大量模糊定性知识转化成定量数据，从而实现智能化评价。该模型主要包含了五个模块：评价项构造模块、评价项权重求解模块、综合评价模块、设计师选择模块以及知识库管理模块。实践证明：上述基于可持续能源的产品低碳性能评价方法能够有效地支持产品低碳设计与评价决策。 In the low-carbon design process of sustainable energy-based product, there are complex qualitative and quantitative knowledge and information in the design object of low-carbon product. It is a challenge to evaluate low-carbon design solutions in the sustainable energy-based low-carbon product design with the incomplete qualitative and quantitative information. This paper established sustainable energy-based product low-carbon design performance evaluation model for decision-making system based on design catalog. In this paper, a comprehensive evaluation of the design catalog for sustainable energy-based products based on multi-objective weighted fuzzy analytic hierarchy process was achieved, through the establishment of a sustainable energy-based low-carbon product design evaluation decision framework. With multi-objective weighted fuzzy analytic hierarchy process, fuzzy qualitative knowledge in low-carbon design will be transferred into quantitative data to realize intelligent evaluation. The model contains five modules: structure evaluation module, evaluation weight solution module, evaluation modules, select module and knowledge management module. It has proved that the above performance evaluation method of low-carbon product based on sustainable energy can effectively support product design and evaluation of low-carbon decisions.

This paper extends the point duration network (PDN) of Navarrete and Marin (1997) to represent both qualitative and quantitative information about point events. An algorithm to solve reasoning tasks such as finding a consistent scenario with minimal domains is briefly described. We also propose a further extension to capture quantitative information about durations.

Many educators and researchers are trying to define statistical literacy for the 21st century. Kimura, a Japanese science educator, has suggested that a key task of statistical literacy is the ability to extract qualitative information from quantitative information, and/or to create new information from qualitative and quantitative information. This article presents research that offers a theoretical basis using the SOLO Taxonomy to capture students’ ability to create new information from qualitative and quantitative information. This research shows that the “creation of dimensionally new information” is a complex construct requiring further research and a deeper analysis than Kimura appears to have used.

<p><strong>Aim:</strong> The aim of this study was to explore female community health agents' views about the value of recording qualitative information on contextual health issues they observe during home visits, data that are not officially required to be documented for the Brazilian System of Primary Healthcare Information.</p> <p><strong>Background:</strong> The study was conducted in community primary healthcare centres located in the cities of Araçatuba and Coroados (state of São Paulo) and Rio de Janeiro (state of Rio de Janeiro), Brazil.</p> <p><strong>Methods:</strong> The design was a qualitative, exploratory study. The purposeful sampling criteria were being female, with a minimum of three years of continuous service in the same location. Data collection with 62 participants was conducted via 11 focus groups (in 2007 and 2008). Audio files were transcribed and submitted to the method of thematic analysis. Four themes guided the analysis: working with qualitative information and undocumented observation; reflecting on qualitative information; integrating/analysing quantitative and qualitative information; and information-sharing with agents and family health teams. In 2010, 25 community health agents verified the final interpretation of the findings.</p> <p><strong>Findings:</strong> Participants valued the recording of qualitative, contextual information to expand understanding of primary healthcare issues and as an indicator of clients' improved health behaviour and health literacy. While participants initiated the recording of additional health information, they generally did not inform the family health team about these findings. They perceived that team members devalued this type of information by considering it a reflection of the clientele's social conditions or problems beyond the scope of medical concerns. Documentation of qualitative evidence can account for the effectiveness of health education in two ways: by improving preventative care, and by amplifying the voices of underprivileged clients who live in poverty to ensure the most appropriate and best quality primary healthcare for them.</p>

: Four dial displays were compared in a check-reading task. Circular and semicircular dials were structured to yield either qualitative or quantitative information. The circularqualitative dial display was compared with the circular-quantitative display. The semicircular-qualitative dial display was compared with the semicircular-quantitative display. The results indicate that dial displays can be structured to yield qualitative and quantitative information in a space-saving display while maintaining efficient subject performance. (Author)

Evaluation of virus neutralization antibody levels in diabetic mutant mice

Scientific visualization methods have become the new standards for analyzing scientific datasets. However, while these visualization routines provide an excellent qualitative means for data analysis, many researchers still require quantitative information about their data. This paper describes how the marching cubes iso-surface algorithm can be modified to produce not only the qualitative information about the shape of a surface but also some quantitative information regarding the volume of space contained within or beneath that surface. The original marching cubes algorithm decomposes a dataset into cubes based on the grid structure provided. It then searches each cube, determining whether or not the surface intersects that particular cube. During this search, volume calculations can be performed for each cube or partial cube that is contained within or beneath the surface. The results of these calculations can then be summed to obtain a measurement for the volume of space that is within or beneath the surface. These additional tasks can easily be incorporated into the marching cubes algorithm, providing the researcher with a volumetric measurement to support the more qualitative visual information generally produced by an iso-surface algorithm.

Recent audit reforms prescribe an all‐inclusive approach to materiality decisions including both qualitative and quantitative information. We examine the effect of gender, experience, rule observance attitudes and critical thinking disposition of auditors on their materiality judgements. Our results support the hypothesis that female auditors utilise more qualitative information in assessing materiality judgements compared with their male counterparts. Our findings also demonstrate that auditors with low rule observance attitudes, high critical thinking disposition and increased audit experience are likely to provide a more accurate materiality judgement compared with auditors with high rule observance attitudes, low critical thinking disposition and less experience. The results of the study have implications for policymakers to coordinate with educators to develop ways to reduce differences in judgements of auditors due to variances in critical thinking disposition, audit experience and rule observance attitudes through necessary training and education.

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to assess potential occupational exposure to chemicals among workers using both qualitative and quantitative information during specific job tasks on the photolithography process of...

City destinations are central in the study of tourism. But how can visitor streams related to the destination characteristics and visitor segments be analysed and discussed as a basis for improvement of the destination? This research used statistical data and qualitative information as “knowledge indicators” rather than as “unambiguous facts”. The research included analysis of about 100 destination plans, a pilot study of statistics and qualitative destination information about Stockholm, and a literature review. It resulted in the development of the visitor stream concept, which can be used in future research on the integration of various visitor segment streams. A method for analysing visitor streams is suggested: (1) defining “focused destination” and its characteristics, (2) investigating quantitative and qualitative destination information, (3) identifying visitor segments, and (4) analysing streams with new destination tools. The knowledge gained will introduce and address new issues concerning statistics for measuring, monitoring and assessing the actual value of tourism, particularly urban tourism.