eprintid: 28675
rev_number: 13
eprint_status: archive
userid: 1249
dir: disk0/00/02/86/75
datestamp: 2020-07-27 13:29:42
lastmod: 2020-08-06 12:33:32
status_changed: 2020-07-27 13:29:42
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Thomann, Eva
creators_name: Maggetti, Martino
title: Designing Research With Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA): Approaches, Challenges, and Tools
subjects: ddc-300
divisions: i-180500
keywords: inference, qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), research design, set-theoretic methods, validity
note: Dieser Beitrag ist aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

This publication is freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.
abstract: Recent years have witnessed a host of innovations for conducting research with qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). Concurrently, important issues surrounding its uses have been highlighted. In this article, we seek to help users design QCA studies. We argue that establishing inference with QCA involves three intertwined design components: first, clarifying the question of external validity; second, ensuring internal validity; and third, explicitly adopting a specific mode of reasoning. We identify several emerging approaches to QCA rather than just one. Some approaches emphasize case knowledge, while others are condition oriented. Approaches emphasize either substantively interpretable or redundancy-free explanations, and some designs apply an inductive/explorative mode of reasoning, while others integrate deductive elements. Based on extant literature, we discuss issues surrounding inference with QCA and the tools available under different approaches to address these issues. We specify trade-offs and the importance of doing justice to the nature and goals of QCA in a specific research context.
date: 2020
publisher: Sage
id_scheme: DOI
id_number: 10.11588/heidok.00028675
official_url: https://doi.org/10.1177/0049124117729700
ppn_swb: 1726554880
own_urn: urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-286750
language: eng
bibsort: THOMANNEVADESIGNINGR2020
full_text_status: public
publication: Sociological Methods & Research
volume: 49
number: 2
place_of_pub: London ; Thousand Oaks
pagerange: 356-386
issn: 0049-1241 (Druck-Ausg.); 1552-8294 (Online-Ausg.)
citation:   Thomann, Eva ; Maggetti, Martino  (2020) Designing Research With Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA): Approaches, Challenges, and Tools.  Sociological Methods & Research, 49 (2).  pp. 356-386.  ISSN 0049-1241 (Druck-Ausg.); 1552-8294 (Online-Ausg.)     
document_url: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/28675/1/10.1177_0049124117729700.pdf