This seminar introduces applied set-theoretic methods for the social sciences, focusing on Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). This method is used in fields as diverse as political science, public policy, international relations, sociology, business and management, organizational studies, and even musicology.

This seminar will enable participants to produce a publishable QCA of their own. To achieve this, the seminar provides both the formal set-theoretical underpinnings of QCA as well as the technical and practical research skills necessary for performing a QCA. All applied components of the seminar are performed in the R software environment, using RStudio (Cloud) and R packages QCA and SetMethods.

An official Instats certificate of completion is provided at the conclusion of the seminar. For European PhD students, each seminar offers 2 ECTS Equivalent points.