About

What is COMPASSS?

COMPASSS (COMPArative Methods for Systematic cross-caSe analySis) is a worldwide network bringing together scholars and practitioners who share a common interest in theoretical, methodological and practical advance ments in a systematic comparative case approach to research which stresses the use of a configurational logic, the existence of multiple causality and the importance of a careful construction of research populations. It was launched in 2003, and its management was re-organized in 2008 and 2012 to better accommodate the growing needs in the field.

Its main goal is to further develop systematic comparative case analysis as a genuine and established research strategy to study many different and diverse phenomena. Its ‘core business’ is the further development and application of “configurational comparative” and set-theoretical methods (crisp-set QCA, multi-value QCA, fuzzy-set QCA, and linked methods and techniques).

It is also a place of dialogue and fruitful confrontation between qualitative (case-oriented) and quantitative (variable-oriented) methods, as well as a locus for the integration of these methods and the further development and application of original approaches, methods and techniques, in an endeavour to develop an overall approach for systematic comparative case analysis. It strives to be a place of exchange between scholars from a broad range of disciplines across the social and behavioural sciences and beyond.

Apart from the management of this international resource site, the COMPASSS core group also organizes seminars, manages a bibliographical and data archive, produces publications and is engaged in software development.

Help is always welcome!  If you wish to actively contribute to the development of COMPASSS, please contact Benoît Rihoux.

Submitting News and Announcements

If you have news or announcements of interest to the CCM community, such as upcoming conference panels, new publication, awards, etc, please email Claude Rubinson. When submitting publications, please include the URL and/or DOI as appropriate; that’s the easiest and fastest way to update our bibliographies.

People

Management Team

From November 2016 onwards, COMPASSS is managed by three circles of persons. The COMPASSS Management Team manages and ensures the overall coherence of the COMPASSS website. Key tasks include web management, collecting information for the regular COMPASSS newsletter, collecting information on new publications and activities, as well as running the COMPASSS Working Paper series.

  • Benoît RIHOUX (University of Louvain, Belgium): legal representative, newsletters
  • Claude RUBINSON (University of Houston-Downtown, USA): managing editor COMPASSS WP series, bibliography, and website
  • Samuel DEFACQZ (University of Louvain, Belgium): address database
  • Priscilla ÁLAMOS-CONCHA (Nijmegen School of Management, Radboud University, The Netherlands; University of Louvain, Belgium): address database
  • Elin MONSTAD (University of Bergen, Norway): address database

Steering Committee

The members of the COMPASSS Steering Committee set the overall direction of the organization and oversees the work of the Management Team. Members of the Steering Committee are elected from the Advisory Board by the Advisory Board.

Advisory Board

The COMPASSS Advisory Board is composed of a broad set of scholars and practioners with expertise in QCA/STMs/CCMs and reflects the diversity of the methods across substantive fields, disciplines, and demographics. Members of the Advisory Board act as a sounding board for the Steering Committee and Management Team, and provide input and suggestions for further improving COMPASSS.

Formal Documents and Statements

Comparative Methods for Systematic Cross-Case Analysis