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Friday 26 July 13:00–15:00 and 15:30–18:00
Saturday 27 July 09:00–12:30 and 14:00–17:30
This course introduces you to basic notions of case-based research and set-theoretic thinking.
It complements other Methods School courses on QCA, as well as those on case-study research and process tracing.
We start by introducing different ontological and epistemological perspectives in the social sciences and situating case-based research and set-theoretic methods within those. This includes discussions related to different types of causal claims, causal effects and mechanisms, concept formation, cases, and case selection.
The course then lays out the fundamentals of set-theoretic methods. In doing so, it provides an introduction to sets and calibration, set operations, causal complexity, and relationships of necessity and sufficiency. The course also offers a brief introduction to the R software environment and to its applications to set-theoretic analyses and QCA.
Nena (Ioana-Elena) Oana is a Research Fellow at the European University Institute, Florence, where she is currently working on developing semi-automated solutions for protest event analysis in the framework of the SOLID project.
Nena is the main developer of the R package SetMethods and has extensive experience in teaching QCA using R at various international methods schools and universities (ECPR Methods Schools, Lund University, University of Helsinki, EUI, etc).
She has also co-authored, with Carsten Q. Schneider and Eva Thomann, the book Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) using R: A Beginner's Guide, forthcoming with Cambridge University Press.
Besides research methodology, Nena's main research interests include political participation and representation, political behaviour, and political psychology.
@NenaOana
The central aim of this course is to familiarise you with basic notions in case-based research and set-theoretic methods. We will talk about concepts and concept formation, causal effects and causal mechanisms, and introduce set-theoretic approaches and QCA.
Goals
Friday 26 July
Session 1, 13:00 – 15:00
I introduce the course topic, the content and sequence of the course sessions, and the course resources. We start with an introduction to case-based methods and set-theoretic thinking and try to place this in the larger methodological space. I also introduce topics that will be addressed in greater depth during subsequent sessions. We therefore start discussions about what concepts are, what cases are, and different ways of making causal claims.
Session 2, 15:30 – 18:00
We look at concept formation and measurement. We discuss basic choices and pitfalls when defining and measuring concepts. We talk about multi-level concepts, concept intension and extension, and introduce different measurement theories. The session ends with a group exercise on concept formation in which we apply the theoretical notions discussed.
Saturday 27 July
Session 3, 09:00 – 10:30
We discuss different types of causal claim and how such claims differ in case-oriented and population-oriented research. We introduce different assumptions about causality and how these vary across methods. In doing so, we approach notions of causal asymmetry, counterfactuals, and causal mechanisms.
Session 4, 11:30 – 12:30 & 14:00 – 15:30
We approach set-theoretic methods hands-on. We start by defining sets, introducing different types of sets, and introduce calibration. We also cover some very basic elements of set-theory and set operations. We then define causal complexity and look at necessity and sufficiency.
Session 5, 15:30 – 17:30
We wrap up with a lab session of exercises on set-theory and QCA. The session offers an introduction to R for set-theoretic methods and QCA, which also serves as an introduction for the follow-up QCA course. We apply notions learnt on the previous day (calibrating sets and visualising set relations) on real data, and learn how to work with such data in R.
Basic knowledge about empirical research design would be useful, but is not essential.
No previous knowledge of set-theoretic methods is required, nor is prior knowledge of the software, because the course comes with its own software introduction.
Each course includes pre-course assignments, including readings and pre-recorded videos, as well as daily live lectures totalling at least two hours. The instructor will conduct live Q&A sessions and offer designated office hours for one-to-one consultations.
Please check your course format before registering.
Live classes will be held daily for two hours on a video meeting platform, allowing you to interact with both the instructor and other participants in real-time. To avoid online fatigue, the course employs a pedagogy that includes small-group work, short and focused tasks, as well as troubleshooting exercises that utilise a variety of online applications to facilitate collaboration and engagement with the course content.
In-person courses will consist of daily three-hour classroom sessions, featuring a range of interactive in-class activities including short lectures, peer feedback, group exercises, and presentations.
This course description may be subject to subsequent adaptations (e.g. taking into account new developments in the field, participant demands, group size, etc.). Registered participants will be informed at the time of change.
By registering for this course, you confirm that you possess the knowledge required to follow it. The instructor will not teach these prerequisite items. If in doubt, please contact us before registering.
| Day | Topic | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Saturday, 09:00 – 10:30 |
Types of Causal Claims (1.5 hours)
|
| 1 | Friday, 15:30 – 18:00 |
Concept Formation and Measurement (1.5 hours)
Exercises (1 hour) |
| 1 | Friday, 13:00 – 15:00 |
Course Introduction (2 hours)
|
| 2 | Saturday, 11:30 – 12:30 & 14:00 – 15:30 |
Foundations of Set-theoretic Research (2.5 hours)
|
| 2 | Saturday, 15:30 – 17:30 |
Lab Session (2 hours)
|
| Day | Readings |
|---|---|
|
Compulsory texts highlighted in bold type |
|
| Friday, 15:30 – 18:00 |
Adcock, R., and D. Collier. 2001 Goertz, G. 2006 Goertz, G. 2006 Gerring, J. 1999 |
| Friday, 13:00 – 15:00 |
Mahoney, J., and G. Goertz (2006) Ragin, C.C. 1992 Rohlfing, I. 2012 |
| Saturday, 09:00 – 10:30 |
Mahoney, J. 2008 Beach, D. and Pedersen R. B. 2016 |
| Saturday, 10:30 – 17:30 |
Berg-Schlosser, D., De Meur, G., Rihoux, B. and C. C. Ragin. 2009 Ragin, C.C. 2008 Oana, I.E., Schneider, C., Thomann E |
R and RStudio
Please bring your own laptop
Mandatory readings
Mahoney, J., and G. Goertz (2006). A Tale of Two Cultures: Contrasting Quantitative and Qualitative Research. Political Analysis 14(3): 227-249.
Adcock, R., and D. Collier. 2001. Measurement Validity: A Shared Standard for Qualitative and Quantitative Research. The American Political Science Review 95(3): 529-546.
Goertz, G. 2006. Social Science Concepts. A User’s Guide. Princeton: Princeton University Press, Chapter 2.
Mahoney, J. 2008. Toward a unified theory of causality. Comparative Political Studies 41(4-5): 412-436.
Beach, D. and Pedersen R. B. 2016. Causal Case Study Methods: Foundations and Guidelines for Comparing, Matching, and Tracing. University of Michigan Press, Chapter 2.
Berg-Schlosser, D., De Meur, G., Rihoux, B. and C. C. Ragin (2009). “Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) as an Approach”. In Rihoux, B. and C.C. Ragin. Configurational Comparative Methods. Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and Related Techniques. Los Angeles, London, New Delhi and Singapore: Sage Publications, pp. 1-18.
Ragin, C.C. (2008). „Measurement versus calibration: a set-theoretic approach“. In Box-Steffensmeier, J. M., Brady, H.E. and D. Collier. The Oxford Handbook of Political Methodology. Oxford Handbooks Online: 174-198.
Further literature
Bennett, A. & Elman, C. 2006. Qualitative research: Recent developments in case study methods. Annual Review of Political Science 9: 455-476.
Blatter, J. and M. Haverland. 2012. Designing Case Studies: Explanatory Approaches in Small-N Research. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Beach, D. and R. B. Pedersen. 2019. Process-Tracing Methods: Foundations and Guidelines. 2nd Edition. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Collier, D., J. Laporte, and J. Seawright. 2008. “Typologies: Forming Concepts and Creating Categorical Variables.” In The Oxford Handbook of Political Methodology, Steffensmeier, Brady, and Collier (eds.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Gerring, J. 2012. Social Science Methodology: A Unified Framework. Cambridge University Press.
Gerring, J. 2012. Mere Description. British Journal of Political Science, 42(04): 721–746.
Gerring, J. 1999. What Makes a Concept Good?. Polity 31(3): 357-393.
Goertz, G. 2017. Multimethod research, causal mechanisms, and case studies: An integrated approach. Princeton University Press, pp. 29-57.
Goertz, G. and H. Starr. 2003. Necessary Conditions: Theory, Methodology, and Applications. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
Mahoney, J., and G. Goertz. 2006. A Tale of Two Cultures: Contrasting Quantitative and Qualitative Research. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Oana, I.E., Schneider, C., Thomann E. An Introduction to Applied QCA through R. Unpublished Manuscript.
Ragin, C. C. 2008. Redesigning Social Inquiry: Fuzzy Sets and Beyond. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Ragin, C. C. 2000. Fuzzy-Set Social Science. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Ragin, C.C. 1992. “Introduction: Cases of “What is a Case?”.” In C. Ragin, Charles & Saul Becker, Howard. (1992). What Is a Case?: Exploring the Foundations of Social Inquiry. Cambridge University
Ragin, C. C. 1987. The Comparative Method: Moving Beyond Quantitative and Qualitative Strategies. Berkeley: University of Berkeley Press.
Rihoux, B. and C.C. Ragin, eds. .2009. Configurational Comparative Methods. Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and Related Techniques. Thousand Oaks and London: Sage.
Rohlfing, I. 2012. Case Studies and Causal Inference: An Integrative Framework. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Sartori, G. 1984. Social Science Concepts. Beverly Hills: Sage.
Sartori, G. 1970. Concept misformation in comparative politics. American Political Science Review, 64(4): 1033-1046
Schneider, C. Q. and C. Wagemann. 2012. Set-Theoretic Methods for the Social Sciences: A Guide to Qualitative Comparative Analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
This list is necessarily selective. Further references are provided during the sessions.
Winter School
Comparative Research Designs
Summer School
Qualitative Comparative Analysis and Fuzzy Sets
Case Study Research – Method and Practice
Introduction to Process Tracing Methodology
Process Tracing Methodology in Practice
Winter School
Introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis
Introduction to Process Tracing Methodology