TY - JOUR
T1 - Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) and fuzzy-sets
T2 - Agenda for a research approach and a data analysis technique
AU - Wagemann, Claudius
AU - Schneider, Carsten Q.
PY - 2010/3/1
Y1 - 2010/3/1
N2 - "Qualitative Comparative Analysis" (QCA) is an increasingly applied methodological tool in comparative social sciences. It is well suited for the analysis of causally complex claims framed in terms of necessity and sufficiency. This article presents the epistemology of QCA and discusses its applicability to social science research questions. It also illustrates some of the features that have recently been added to this set of methodological tools. This article is best read in close conjunction with Schneider and Wagemann's "Standards of Good QCA Practice," the next paper in this journal issue.
AB - "Qualitative Comparative Analysis" (QCA) is an increasingly applied methodological tool in comparative social sciences. It is well suited for the analysis of causally complex claims framed in terms of necessity and sufficiency. This article presents the epistemology of QCA and discusses its applicability to social science research questions. It also illustrates some of the features that have recently been added to this set of methodological tools. This article is best read in close conjunction with Schneider and Wagemann's "Standards of Good QCA Practice," the next paper in this journal issue.
KW - Causal complexity
KW - Comparative methods
KW - Fuzzy sets
KW - QCA
KW - Set-theoretic relations
KW - Suffi ciency and necessity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77950180589&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1163/156913210X12493538729838
DO - 10.1163/156913210X12493538729838
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77950180589
SN - 1569-1322
VL - 9
SP - 376
EP - 396
JO - Comparative Sociology
JF - Comparative Sociology
IS - 3
ER -