Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis for Identifying Causal Chains in Configurational Data: A Methodological Commentary on Baumgartner and Epple (2014)

Sociological Methods and Research

Volumn 44, Issue 4, 2015, Pages 723-736

  Thiem, Alrik ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF GENEVA   (Switzerland)

Author keywords

causal chain; Coincidence Analysis (CNA); Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA); Quine McCluskey algorithm; Swiss minaret vote

Indexed keywords

EID: 84946135767     PISSN: 00491241     EISSN: 15528294     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/0049124115589032     Document Type: Article

References (23)

1. M.BaumgartnerMichael. 2009a. “Inferring Causal Complexity.” Sociological Methods & Research38:71–101.
2. M.BaumgartnerMichael. 2009b. “Uncovering Deterministic Causal Structures: A Boolean Approach.” Synthese17:71–96.
3. M.BaumgartnerMichael. 2013. “Detecting Causal Chains in Small-n Data.” Field Methods25:3–24.
4. M.BaumgartnerMichaelR.EppleRuedi. 2014. “A Coincidence Analysis of a Causal Chain: The Swiss Minaret Vote.” Sociological Methods & Research43:280–312.
5. N.CarenNealA.PanofskyAaron. 2005. “TQCA: A Technique for Adding Temporality to Qualitative Comparative Analysis.” Sociological Methods & Research34:147–72.
6. L.CronqvistLasse. 2011. Tosmana: Tool for Small-N Analysis, Version 1.3.2.0 [Computer Program]. Trier, Germany: University of Trier.
7. L.CronqvistLasseD.Berg-SchlosserDirk. 2009. “Multi-value QCA (mvQCA).” Pp. 69–86 in Configurational Comparative Methods: Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and Related Techniques, edited by B.RihouxBenoîtC.C.RaginCharles C. London, UK: Sage.
8. A.DuşaAdrianA.ThiemAlrik. 2015. QCA: A Package for Qualitative Comparative Analysis, R Package Version 1.1-4. Accessed January 12, 2015. http://cran.r-project.org/packages=QCA.
9. A.DuşaAdrianA.ThiemAlrik. 2015. “Enhancing Boolean and Multi-value Logic Minimization with eQMC.” Journal of Mathematical Sociology39:92–108.
10. S.R.EliasonScott R.R.StrykerRobin. 2009. “Goodness-fo-fit Tests and Descriptive Measures in Fuzzy-set Analysis.” Sociological Methods & Research38:102–46.
11. K.C.LongestKyle C.S.VaiseyStephen. 2008. “Fuzzy: A Program for Performing Qualitative Comparative Analyses (QCA) in Stata.” Stata Journal8:79–104.
12. E.J.McCluskeyEdward J.1956. “Minimization of Boolean Functions.” Bell Systems Technical Journal35:1417–44.
13. C.C.RaginCharles C.2008. Redesigning Social Inquiry: Fuzzy Sets and Beyond. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
14. C.C.RaginCharles C.S.DaveySean. 2014. fs/QCA: Fuzzy-Set/Qualitative Comparative Analysis, Version 2.5 [Computer Program]. Irvine: Department of Sociology, University of California.
15. C.C.RaginCharles C.S.I.StrandSarah Ilene. 2008. “Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis to Study Causal Order: Comment on Caren and Panofsky (2005).” Sociological Methods & Research36:431–41.
16. C.Q.SchneiderCarsten Q.C.WagemannClaudius. 2006. “Reducing Complexity in Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA): Remote and Proximate Factors and the Consolidation of Democracy.” European Journal of Political Research45:751–86.
17. C.Q.SchneiderCarsten Q.C.WagemannClaudius. 2013. “Doing Justice to Logical Remainders in QCA: Moving Beyond the Standard Analysis.” Political Research Quarterly66:211–20.
18. A.ThiemAlrik. 2013. “Clearly Crisp, and Not Fuzzy: A Reassessment of the (Putative) Pitfalls of Multi-value QCA.” Field Methods25:197–207.
19. A.ThiemAlrik. 2014a. “Navigating the Complexities of Qualitative Comparative Analysis: Case Numbers, Necessity Relations, and Model Ambiguities.” Evaluation Review38:487–513.
20. A.ThiemAlrik. 2014b. “Unifying Configurational Comparative Methods: Generalized-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis.” Sociological Methods & Research43:313–37.
21. A.ThiemAlrik. 2015. “Parameters of Fit and Intermediate Solutions in Multi-value Qualitative Comparative Analysis.” Quality & Quantity49:657–74.
22. A.ThiemAlrikA.DuşaAdrian. 2013a. “Boolean Minimization in Social Science Research: A Review of Current Software for Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA).” Social Science Computer Review31:505–21.
23. A.ThiemAlrikA.DuşaAdrian. 2013b. “QCA: A Package for Qualitative Comparative Analysis.” The R Journal5:87–97.