Configurational Comparative Methods
Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and Related Techniques
- Benoît Rihoux - Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium
- Charles C. Ragin - University of California, Irvine, USA, University of Arizona, USA
Applied Social Research Methods
Configurational Comparative Methods paves the way for an innovative approach to empirical scientific work through a strategy that integrates key strengths of both qualitative (case-oriented) and quantitative (variable-oriented) approaches. This first-of-its-kind text is ideally suited for "small-N" or "intermediate-N" research situations, which both mainstream qualitative and quantitative methods find difficult to address. Benoît Rihoux and Charles C. Ragin, along with their contributing authors, offer both a basic, comparative research design overview and a technical and hands-on review of Crisp-Set QCA (csQCA), Multi-Value QCA (mvQCA), and Fuzzy-Set QCA (fsQCA).
Key Features
- Discusses existing applications in many different fields and disciplines along with state-of-the-art coverage of the strengths and limitations of these techniques
- Demonstrates further inventive ways of using QCA techniques
- Provides advice on how to develop a comparative research design (case and variable selection) as well as a specific technique called MSDO/MDSO (most similar, different outcome/most different, same outcome).
- Shows how to perform the technical operations linked to three specific QCA techniques: csQCA, mvQCA, and fsQCA
- Includes a glossary, an extensive bibliography, and a detailed list of good practices at every stage of the research process
Intended Audience
A must for any student or researcher who wants to engage in systematic cross-case comparison in the social and behavioral sciences, the book is ideal for use in upper-level undergraduate and graduate-level social science research methods courses.
One chapter (chapter 5 by Ragin) very useful and of high quality, some of the other chapters less so
I have not got the support that I want for this book--so I will use it as a recommended text-not a primary textbook.
This book is useful for UG students and I will recommend it for those students that want to conduct research between Qual and Quant. However, I believe it would be more useful to MSc or MBA students. This is something I hadn't thought about before and I will consider it now.
The book comprises of different essays about QCA, fsQCA, mvQCA, ... and is a useful resource to get started with configurational methods as it covers different aspects within one book.
Limited demand for the methodology for current courses. Potential for 2011
This book is useful for UG students and I will recommend it for those students that want to conduct research between Qual and Quant. However, I believe it would be more useful to MSc or MBA students. This is something I hadn't thought about before and I will consider it now.
This is a very important book on configurational comparative methods.
The book comprises of different essays about QCA, fsQCA, mvQCA, ... and is a useful resource to get started with configurational methods as it covers different aspects within one book.
I have not got the support that I want for this book--so I will use it as a recommended text-not a primary textbook.
