Qualitative comparative analysis : an introduction to research design and application / Patrick A. Mello.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mello, Patrick A., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social sciences--Research--Methodology.

Social sciences.

Social sciences--Statistical methods.

Physical Description:

xix, 241 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Washington, DC : Georgetown University Press, [2021]

Summary:

"Social phenomena can rarely be attributed to single causes. Drawing on set theory and the language of necessary and sufficient conditions, Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) is a case-based research method that is ideally suited to capture causal complexity. QCA regards cases as combinations of conditions. It compares the conditions of each case in a structured way to identify the necessary and sufficient conditions for an outcome. While QCA has become increasingly popular and seen a substantial increase of applications across the social sciences and management, introductory textbooks have not kept pace with this development. In this textbook, Patrick A. Mello teaches students, scholars, and self-learners the fundamentals of QCA, research design, interpretation of results, and how to communicate findings. This concise and accessible textbook provides a hands-on introduction to QCA that will be ideal for use within a broader qualitative methods course and in intensive short courses"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: What Is Qualitative Comparative Analysis?

How to Use This Book

The QCA Research Cycle

A Brief History of QCA

Trends in QCA Applications

Outline of the Book

Notes

Research Questions

Uses of QCA

Testing Hypotheses

Case Selection

Condition Selection

Multimethod Research Designs

A Survey of Empirical Applications

Crisp Sets and Fuzzy Sets

Set Operations

Truth Tables

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions

Assessing Set Relations

Theories of Causation in the Social Sciences

Causal Complexity

Causal Analysis

Measurement and Calibration

Calibration Procedures

Types of Data

The Direct Method of Calibration

Applied Examples of Calibration

Common Misconceptions about Calibration

Good Practices for Calibration

Set-Theoretic Consistency

An Example of Calculating Consistency

Set-Theoretic Coverage

An Example of Calculating Coverage

Proportional Reduction in Inconsistency

Relevance of Necessity

Analyzing Necessary Conditions

Truth Table Construction

Truth Table Analysis

Solution Terms

An Illustration of Solution Terms

Counterfactual Analysis

Multivalue QCA

Temporal QCA

Two-Step QCA

An Applied Example of Two-Step QCA

Fuzzy-Set Ideal Type Analysis

An Example of Fuzzy-Set Ideal Type Analysis

Related Methods and Approaches

Analytical Robustness

Comparisons with Other Methods

Formalization and Algorithms

Causal Analysis and Solution Terms

Recognizing QCA's Strengths and Limitations

Good Research Practice

Documenting and Communicating QCA Results

QCA Resources

Current Developments

The Way Ahead

Notes.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781647121440

1647121442

9781647121457

1647121450

OCLC:

1236898701

Publisher Number:

99989813963