Case Studies Nested in Fuzzy-set QCA on Sufficiency: Formalizing Case Selection and Causal Inference

Carsten Q. Schneider, Ingo Rohlfing

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract (may include machine translation)

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) is a method for cross-case analyses that works best when complemented with follow-up case studies focusing on the causal quality of the solution and its constitutive terms, the underlying causal mechanisms, and potentially omitted conditions. The anchorage of QCA in set theory demands criteria for follow-up case studies that are different from those known from regression-based multimethod research (MMR). Based on the evolving research on set-theoretic MMR, we introduce principles for formalized case selection and causal inference after a fuzzy-set QCA on sufficiency. Using an empirical example for illustration, we elaborate on the principles of counterfactuals for intelligible causal inference in the analysis of three different types of cases. Furthermore, we explain how case-based counterfactual inferences on the basis of QCA solutions are related to counterfactuals in the course of processing a truth table in order to produce a solution. We then flesh out two important functions that ideal types play for QCA-based case studies: First, they inform the development of formulas for the choice of the best available cases for with-case analysis and, second, establish the boundaries of generalization of the causal inferences.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)526-568
Number of pages43
JournalSociological Methods and Research
Volume45
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Aug 2016

Keywords

  • QCA
  • case selection
  • causal inference
  • counterfactuals
  • fuzzy sets
  • multimethod research

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